Candidates take pledge for ethical voting, vow not to bribe voters

Madurai: In a first-of-its kind initiative, candidates contesting the assembly election pledged for ethical voting practices and vowed not to bribe voters.
With the election just few days away, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is leaving no stone unturned to ensure 100% voting. Many campaigns have already been conducted in the district to ensure the same under the supervision of collector and district electoral officer K Veera Raghava Rao.
The other initiative that is being strictly implemented by the EC is to ensure that each voter values his vote and uses it in an ethical manner.Cash-for-votes was something that gained prominence during the Thirumangalam by-election in 2009, when the cash offered for votes went up to as high as Rs 1,000 per voter.
Now, the EC is taking all steps to ensure that money is not distributed to voters by the political parties. Already, cash to the tune of Rs 2.37 crore, 480.67 litres of liquor and goods worth Rs 1.22 crore were seized by various flying squads during vehicle checks and raids. On Tuesday, millions of people across the state took the pledge for ethical voting, in which a large number from Madurai participated. The collector said people across various sections of the society, including workers of the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment generation scheme, workers in factories, mills, farms, office employees and students were roped in to take the pledge.
At the function organized at the Raja Muthiah Mandram, prominent candidates from major parties including former mayor V V Rajan Chellappa and minister Sellur K Raju participated and took the pledge along with 1,000 people who had gathered there. General observer for the district T K Jose, who had been in this capacity on 12 other occasions earlier, said this was the first time he is witnessing a rare event wherein the candidates themselves are made to take the ethical pledge. T Kumar, a first-time voter, said he did not expect the candidates to be there.
Many residents associations such as the Gomathypuram - Thendral Residents Welfare Association had put up sign boards in prominent places asking residents not to sell their votes.
Commissioner of police Shailesh Kumar Yadav, superintendent of police Vijayendra Bidari, PO DRDA Rohini Ramdoss among others participated.