With just three days left for campaigning ahead of the May 16 Assembly General Election in Tamil Nadu, leaders of all major political parties are involved in intense campaigning. <br/><br/>The AIADMK supremo and state chief minister J.Jayalalithaa sought to take pride in her van-bound Chennai campaign, law and order has been maintained well during her rule. Many land grabbing cases have been solved, she said. <br/><br/>DMK chief M.Karunanidhi who contests for the 13th time for the Assembly altogether and for the second time in his home constituency in Tiruvarur said crop loans of all the farmers will be waived if his party comes to power. <br/><br/>In the party manifesto, it was said the loans of only small and marginal farmers would be waived and now he promises to cover all the farmers. The Vijayakanth-led third front leaders in their Trichy conference this evening charged that people's growth is being blocked through a series of freebies.<br/><br/>Meanwhile, the Chief Election Commissioner and other senior officials reviewed the latest poll arrangements for the second and concluding day today with the senior officials of 16 districts in the state through video conferencing. They reviewed the measures taken to ensure ethical, free and fair voting and the arrangements put in place in all the polling booths.<br/><br/>The state chief electoral officer Rajesh Lakhoni told news persons in Chennai, the amount of seizure by the flying squads and the Income Tax investigative officers attached with election duties have crossed Rs 98 crore, the biggest ever so far. <br/><br/>This includes Rs 2 crore found in the premises at various locations of a candidate who contests in Karur and Rs 1.3 crore from an individual in Vikravandi near Villupuram. Of the Rs 98 crore seized, Rs 37 crore has been returned after claimants produced due documents.<br/><br/>As the polling day is drawing closer, the Election Commission has increased the strength of the flying squads to 6112 in all the 234 Assembly Constituencies, from the initial figure of 702, to tighten vigil against money distribution.
News On AIR | May 11, 2016 8:03 PM
TN elections: Parties involve in intense campaigning, EC reviews poll preparedness