Rs 500 For your Vote in Madurai

MADURAI: Sunday dawned bright for many in Madurai, as they woke up not to the shout of the milkman but to the rustle of currency notes. Before they could rub the sleep off their eyes, they were presented with sealed brown envelope and allegedly asked to vote for the DMK candidate for the Madurai Lok Sabha Constituency M K Azhagiri. The envelopes had no voters’ slip but a crisp Rs 500 note, fresh from the mint.According to reports, the distribution of money began late on Saturday night itself, as some people said they were even woken up at 3 am and given the token money, which they claimed was an advance and more was on the way.Sunday was also a great day for all the meat shop owners in the city as they said many came to their shops with Rs 500 notes to buy meat. Though the shop owners claimed they had a hard time finding change to pay the buyers, they said the meat was sold in a jiffy.According to the police, on Saturday late night, a few AIADMK alliance activists claimed they caught DMK functionaries while they were distributing money and handed them to the officials in the respective police stations.But on Sunday morning, the distribution of tokens seemingly began with a renewed vigour. When the AIADMK cadre intervened, 15 DMK functionaries, including Deputy Mayor P M Mannan, allegedly attacked them with clubs.Eleven persons, including nine AIADMK men, who were reportedly injured in the attack, were admitted to the Madurai GRH. Council member Thilagar and another Thilagar of CPM sustained head injuries in the free-for-all.In another incident near Melaponnagaram, the DMK district secretary along with a few others attacked CPM and AIADMK activists, who were staging road roko demanding that the police intervene and prevent DMK from bribing the voters. In this attack Balasubramani of CPM sustained cut injuries in his fingers. According to the protestors they were attacked in front of the policemen, who were trying to pacify them.Another report stated that at Panthadi 3rd street, DMK cadre, including Mubharak Mandhiri and MLA Syed Ghouse Basha, allegedly abducted Thulasi Ramsingh of CPM and took him to a DMK temporary election office at Mahal 5th street. After the Marxists pressured the police they freed Thulasi Ramsingh and took him to Keeraithurai police station.The money was reportedly distributed in Tallakulam, Karumbalai, K K Nagar, Anupanadi, Ponnagaram, South Gate, Jawaharpuram, Athikulam, Mahal areas, Jeevangar, Cholaiyazhagupuram and Simmakkal.At Simmakkal, the voters rioted saying that they would not accept Rs 500 as they had read in dailies that they would be paid Rs 5,000. The local activists and Deputy Mayor Mannan visited the spot and convinced the voters by reportedly stating that there would be more instalments.It was alleged that the money was not properly distributed at Jeevanagar and the voters who missed the money said that they were being treated in a biased manner. Similarly at Kanmai Mela Theru, near Tallakulam, not all were given money.