Chennai: The Election Commission on Friday said it was not favouring any particular party in poll-bound Tamil Nadu and it was only going by rules and regulations.
Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Praveen Kumar told reporters in Chennai that there has been no instruction to work in favour or against any particular party. His response came to questions on the ruling DMK-led alliance leaders charging the EC with working in a "biased manner."
"Everyone has a view. We are following rules and regulations. There is no bias and we have no instructions (to work in favour or against any party)", he said.
DMK and its allies had attacked EC, with DMK chief M Karunanidhi alleging that some officials, with the intention of defeating his party combine, were acting like in 'Emergency period,' intercepting vehicles and pedestrians, checking if they are carrying money and "troubling the innocent".
He had earlier criticised the EC for ordering the transfer of DGP Letika Saran and ADGP (Intelligence) MS Jaffer Sait, saying it was done because AIADMK had complained against them. On the April 13 assembly polls, Kumar said offering and accepting bribe was a crime and defaulters in either category would have to face legal action.
Further, District Election Officers have been asked to focus on small sums of money in thousands and increase night patrolling in villages and roads to curb money power, he said. To a question, he said a total of around Rs 36 crore have been seized, including recovery of Rs 5.11 crore from the roof of a private bus in Tiruchirappalli early this week.
On the security front, 40 more companies of central paramilitary forces will arrive next week in addition to the existing 200 companies, he said.
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