Electoral Integrity Under Threat: TVK's Alleged Election Campaign Violations

A formal complaint was lodged with the Election Commission on Wednesday, targeting the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) over allegations of an unlawful online political campaign. The complaint, filed by Chennai residents L. Devasagayam and P. Adikesavan, seeks action against the party, urging the removal of campaign content from social media platforms.

The complainants have appealed to Tamil Nadu's Chief Electoral Officer, Archana Patnaik, to ensure compliance with election laws and safeguard electoral secrecy during the upcoming polls on April 23. They accuse TVK of planning a large-scale online campaign on April 22, which falls within the 'silent period' dictated by the Election Commission of India.

The complaint also alleges that TVK intends to covertly film votes for their party and distribute these videos on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X, using bot networks to create a false sense of popularity and intimidate opposing voters. Such actions, they argue, pose a significant threat to the principle of electoral secrecy and fairness. They have urged the Election Commission to direct the Cyber Crime Wing of the police to monitor social media platforms and remove any illicit content on the poll day.

(With inputs from agencies.)