Election of DMK MLA challenged in court

CHENNAI: RS Raja Kannappan of AIADMK has challenged the election of DMK candidate KR Periyakaruppan from the Tirupathur Assembly constituency in the May 13 elections.  Periyakaruppan, the HR&CE minister during the previous DMK regime, was declared elected by a thin margin of 1,584 votes. In his election petition, Kannappan alleged that the DMK candidate managed to secure the victory by corrupt practices and by bringing undue influence on the District Election Officer (DEO) and the Returning Officer (RO) in his capacity as State minister. The DEO and the RO made ready a well deigned ground for ensuring the victory of Periyakaruppan by manipulating the electronic voting machines (EVMs) during the gap between the polling date and the counting date.A mere padlock and a cross bar, which could be easily unscrewed and re-fixed, were fixed on the door, where the EVMs were kept. This was done deliberately to facilitate free ingress into the room for the purpose of tampering with the EVMs. A man entering the room with an EVM was also seen and videographed, during the interrugnum, petitioner claimed. During the course of counting, an intruder was seen with a cell phone. Despite cell phone ban, the DEO and RO permitted its use, petitioner alleged.