AIADMK, DMK retain same candidates for Vellore MP election

The AIADMK and DMK announced the candidates for the Vellore parliamentary seat election today.

The election to the Vellore MP constituency was countermanded during the 2019 general elections as the Election Commission of India found largescale arrangements for distribution of money to votes.

Sacks and sacks of neatly bundled notes were found in the residence and college of the DMK candidate D M Kathir Anand, son of party treasurer Durai Murugan. Though the party tried to brazen out the raid, the election was eventually cancelled.

Meeting in the party headquarters at Royapettah today, the AIADMK honchos said A C Shanmugam, founder-leader of the New Justice Party, would be contesting from Vellore on behalf of the AIADMK alliance.

He had earlier been allotted the seat in the alliance deal with the AIADMK during the May 2019 general elections. But the election to the Vellore constituency was countermanded on allegations of cash for votes.

For the DMK, Kathir Anand has been nominated for the seat again. During the general elections, he was charged with attempting to bribe voters and falsifying his financial declaration to the Election Commission.

Police officials had then said a case has been filed under section 125 (A) of Representation of People Act 1951 and sections 171 (B) (2), 171 (E) of the Indian Penal Code for filing false affidavits and attempting to bribe voters.

The Election Commission announced 4 July that the Vellore Lok Sabha poll will be conducted 5 August.