‘Rs 2,000 note for every vote’, officials on toes

Sushil Manav & Deepender Deswal
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh/Hisar, December 15

As Haryana’s five municipal corporations and two municipal committees go to the polls tomorrow, authorities are on their toes apprehending that the poor may be influenced with money. There have been reports from Hisar, Karnal and Panipat of some candidates planning to distribute money past midnight.

In Rohtak, CPM candidate Jagmati Sangwan gave a written complaint to the Returning Officer, alleging distribution of money and liquor. “The norm is a purple-pink note (Rs 2,000) for every vote,” claimed a district-level leader in Karnal. Barring a few areas where voters claimed they had been promised Rs 1,000, the same rate is being quoted in Panipat and Hisar. 

Dr Dalip Singh, State Election Commissioner, said: “We have appointed observers for all five municipal corporations besides 28 duty magistrates in Rohtak, 24 in Yamunanagar, 12 in Panipat, 10 in Hisar and five in Karnal. The observers have visited localities where malpractices were apprehended. They will keep a night-long vigil.”  

Sources in Hisar said election managers had already launched ‘project allurement’, with funds of Rs 3-4 crore. “Hisar has vulnerable localities accounting for 20,000-25,000 votes which may be targeted,” sources said.

A group leader with influence over a chunk of votes is given cash for distribution. Voters who are ‘not dependable’ too are given money to stop them from exercising franchise. Their voter cards and IDs are ‘confiscated’. AS Maan, Returning Officer-cum-ADC, Hisar, said he had not received any complaint so far.