After money, it's fuel for votes in state

When Sri Krishna, a final year civil engineering student of Hindustan University, stopped to fill his bike's tank at a petrol bunk in Mogappair, he didn't expect to get more than he asked for. He handed the bunk attendant Rs 100, but the man kept filling his tank until the meter touched Rs 500. He capped the tank and told Krishna that the extra was a Rsgift' from the ruling party.
Krishna lodged a complaint with the election commission immediately.“When the meter cross the Rs 100 mark, I asked him to stop filling. When it crossed Rs 200, I raised my voice and told him I didn't have money to pay more. He refused to make eye-contact and just kept shaking his head, saying it's ok,“ he said.“When it reached Rs 400, he stopped. He then told me to vote for RsAmma'," said Krishna.
Across the state, election commission officials have been busy seizing cash and other goods that could be used to influence voters, but parties are finding newer avenues to sway them. A few other people also said parties have tied up with few petrol pumps to distribute Rspetrol cards' that come with a request for a vote.
Election commission officials said they raided six bunks in the area but did not find any suspicious material or any proof. “We usually look for some record like tokens or chits, which indicate money for votes -or in this case, petrol for votes. We did not find any such evi dence,“ said chief election commissioner Rajesh Lakhoni.
Chennai isn't the only place where votes are being fuelled towards the ruling party.On Sunday, flying squad officials sealed a petrol bunk on one of the main roads of Anthiyur in Erode district. They had received a tip-off that the petrol bunk was dispensing fuel for tokens issued by AIADMK candidate Raja Krishnan.
The officials also found blank bills with only the quantity but no amount.They said the bills were given to potential voters, who brought them to the bunk and received fuel in lieu of cash. Officials said that 91 such bills were found at the bunk.
Police have registered cases against the bunk owners, manager and cashier, and revenue officials sealed the petrol bunk.
Across the state, till Thursday, Rs 100 crore has been seized in cash. Of this, about Rs 38 crore was returned after the owners produced required documentation.