Assembly polls 2011: Now, swap tokens for gifts in Tamil Nadu

Politicians in Madurai, especially those belonging to the ruling DMK, seem to have devised a new strategy to bribe voters and hoodwink the ever watchful eyes of the Election Commission.
Voters in the district, a stronghold of union minister MK Azhagiri, elder son of chief minister Muthuvel Karunanidhi, are being ‘showered’ with plastic tokens of various colours which can be exchanged in select shops for gifts and household articles..

“We have seized several tokens from various places. The colours indicate the value of the tokens which range from Rs500 to Rs5,000,” U Sagayam, the new district collector said. On March 22, the Election Commission transferred the district collector and superintendent of police for their reported submissiveness to Azhagiri, the Madurai strongman.

“A sense of fear is prevailing all over the region. Even files dealing with old age pension of Rs500 should get the approval of Azhagiri’s henchmen,” a senior district official told DNA.

Not any more. Forty eight-year-old Sagayam and Punjab-born Asra Garg (30), an IPS officer of 2004 batch has been brought in by the Election Commission for the smooth conduct of the polls.
Sagayam is on a round-the-clock mission of spreading the message “My vote is not for sale”. He addresses public meetings organised in schools and colleges.

The effort has started yielding results.