PMK President Anbumani Ramados Accuses DMK of 'Murdering Democracy' in Vikravandi By-Election

Anbumani Ramados, PMK President, accused the DMK of 'murdering democracy' through voter bribery after losing the Vikravandi by-election. Despite DMK's win, Ramados emphasized PMK's significant vote count and criticized the Election Commission for inaction. He highlighted Vikravandi's backwardness and called for systemic changes.

Anbumani Ramados, Rajya Sabha MP and president of the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), on Saturday accused the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) of 'murdering democracy' following their victory in the Vikravandi by-election in Tamil Nadu. Ramados alleged that the DMK secured their win by bribing voters with cash and gifts.

Speaking to ANI, Ramados stated, 'What happened in the Vikravandi bypolls is a murder of democracy. The democracy has been murdered again. PMK got respectful 56,300 votes,' he said. DMK candidate Anniyur Siva won against Anbumani C. of PMK by a margin of 67,757 votes, securing 1,24,053 votes to Ramados's 56,296.

Ramados claimed, 'Even though DMK won by bribing voters, PMK won without spending a single penny, and we obtained a respectable vote count.' He reiterated that the by-election was a 'mockery of democracy,' noting that Tamil Nadu is infamous for vote-buying practices.

Ramados also expressed gratitude to voters, mentioning, 'I would like to thank the voters who expressed faith in us. In a bye-election in Tamil Nadu, I see this as a huge amount. In the last bye-election, the DMK and BJP together got only 43,000 votes.'

Continuing his attack on DMK, Ramados stated, 'The DMK bribed the voters with nearly Rs 10,000 and also gave saris, earrings and other items worth Rs 4000.' He criticized the Election Commission of India, alleging inaction despite complaints about DMK's distribution of money and goods over the past 20 days.

Highlighting the backwardness of Vikravandi, situated in Villupuram district, Ramados pointed out, 'The per capita income of the district is the least in the state, and for them, even Rs 500 is a substantial amount. When they are offered Rs 10,000, they naturally vote for the giver. I blame the system, the EC, and the DMK for this scenario.'

Notably, the vote counting for 13 legislative assembly seats across seven states began on Saturday morning. Polling took place on July 10 for assembly seats in Tamil Nadu, Bihar, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh.

The Election Commission conducted the by-elections in one seat each in Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Punjab, and Madhya Pradesh; two seats in Uttarakhand; and three in Himachal Pradesh; with Uttarakhand having a total of four seats. Key constituencies included Vikravandi in Tamil Nadu, Amarwara in Madhya Pradesh, and various seats in West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, and Bihar.

(With inputs from agencies.)