DMK and AIADMK candidates were conspicuous by their absence at the event.
Coimbatore: Candidates contesting the by-elections ahead of the urban local elections are engaged in intense campaigning to garner votes. Meanwhile, the Marumalarchi Makkal Iyakkam in Coimbatore is filming a series of awareness programs against paying for the drive.
Part of this awareness initiative was to organize an event in which all party candidates pledged not to pay for votes in order to hold fair elections. All candidates contesting in Sundarapuram and Kurichi areas were invited to the event which was held at Sundarapuram Sangam Road. Political parties and independent candidates, including Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), DMDK, BJP, Makkal Needhi Maiam and BJP participated in the event and took the 'I will not pay for the vote' pledge.
Though there was a participation of various political parties and independent candidates, none of the DMK and AIADMK candidates attended. The Marumalarchi Makkal Iyakkam opined that these parties could probably be trying to win by paying for votes. "The country's democracy will only survive if electoral democracy is preserved. DMK and AIADMK think it is alright to kill democracy and somehow bring victory to their party candidates. The poor candidates in these parties are in no position to contest elections because they have to pay voters. This should be avoided," urged Easwaran, the Co-ordinator of Marumalarchi Makkal Iyakkam.
Part of this awareness initiative was to organize an event in which all party candidates pledged not to pay for votes in order to hold fair elections. All candidates contesting in Sundarapuram and Kurichi areas were invited to the event which was held at Sundarapuram Sangam Road. Political parties and independent candidates, including Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), DMDK, BJP, Makkal Needhi Maiam and BJP participated in the event and took the 'I will not pay for the vote' pledge.
Though there was a participation of various political parties and independent candidates, none of the DMK and AIADMK candidates attended. The Marumalarchi Makkal Iyakkam opined that these parties could probably be trying to win by paying for votes. "The country's democracy will only survive if electoral democracy is preserved. DMK and AIADMK think it is alright to kill democracy and somehow bring victory to their party candidates. The poor candidates in these parties are in no position to contest elections because they have to pay voters. This should be avoided," urged Easwaran, the Co-ordinator of Marumalarchi Makkal Iyakkam.