In Tiruchendur constituency where by-election is being held, allegations of ‘cash for votes’ are in the air for quite some time. It is a well-known ‘secret’ that crores of rupees are spent by parties. A friend of mine from Madurai told me that in the last election there, an envelope containing a sizable amount along with the symbol of a political party was thrown into his house even before the daily newspaper was. Well, it has become an integral part of our elections. As long as it is not detected, everything is smooth for all concerned.

Now, according to a report, lakhs of rupees, suspected to be cash for votes, have been seized from hotels in Tirunelveli. Naturally, it is said to belong to an opposition party. (Perhaps in a dream, we can see the State police acting against the ruling party.) Fluid money- yes, liquor bottles- have also been seized.

If nearly half a crore has been found in a single raid, one can imagine where we are heading to. This is precisely why our leaders want our electorate to be poor and illiterate. They are an easily purchasable commodity.

Of course, Election Commission will conduct a formal enquiry and the file will be closed.  Our administrators should put their heads together to find a way out. Otherwise, there is an imminent danger of our people losing faith in the very system of democracy.