Chennai:
Coming down heavily on the Election Commission (EC), Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa on April 3 criticised deplored the restrictions in terms of calculation of poll expenses and said the AIADMK would seek legal remedy.
Jayalalithaa took exception to the debiting of expenses of rallies organised by the party to the candidate if he or she is introduced from the dais.
“It is nothing but mockery of democracy. Because of this rule, I cannot even introduce my party candidates. I cannot even mention the candidate’s name,” she said, addressing an election rally in Salem.
Criticising the opposition DMK for accusing the AIADMK of transporting people to her rallies, she maintained that people thronged her rallies on their own.
She also questioned the EC decision of including transport expenses of people coming to attend her rallies to the candidates’ account and alleged that it was surprising that the EC was trying to regulate people coming to the AIADMK rallies.
Even to make a small announcement, there is need to get the EC approval. This is against democracy. Similarly, the AIADMK candidate is absent due to EC rule. Not only that, you cannot mention the candidate’s name and that he is contesting from this constituency, she said.
“That is, even if the party founder is on the stage along with the contesting candidate or his photograph during the campaign, the expenses incurred will be included in the candidate’s account. This is unjustifiable. This is a mockery of democracy. AIADMK will move the High Court challenging the EC restrictions,” she said.
“Even if people come to my campaign on their own, how it will be justifiable to include their expenses in the candidate’s account?” she asked.
