The Dharapuram poll expenditure controversy intensified after DMK deputy organisation secretary and MLA S Austin petitioned Tamil Nadu chief electoral officer Archana Patnaik for an urgent Election Commission of India inquiry into alleged violations by TVK candidate P Sathyabama. The complaint centres on a purported video in which Sathyabama is reportedly heard claiming that she spent Rs 31 crore during the April 23 Assembly election.
Austin submitted a pen drive containing the video to the chief electoral officer at the state secretariat and sought a detailed examination of Sathyabama’s election expenditure accounts. He said the alleged spending should be cross-checked against bank records, expenditure statements and other supporting documents.
The complaint also refers to a reported statement that around Rs 14 lakh was spent on logistics, food and accommodation for TVK and its alliance functionaries during the ongoing Dharapuram byelection campaign. Austin asked the ECI to verify whether this amount had been included in the candidate’s official expenditure account and whether the figures were supported by receipts and other records.
According to Austin, the expenditure ceiling for an Assembly candidate was Rs 40 lakh. He argued that any election-related spending must be properly recorded and demanded action under the Representation of the People Act and other applicable laws if expenditure was found to have been concealed.
The DMK complaint also seeks an inquiry into allegations of cash and gift distribution to voters in Dharapuram. The items mentioned include lamps, saris and tiffin boxes. The supplied report does not establish whether these allegations have been independently confirmed or whether the ECI has begun a formal investigation.
The dispute has also raised questions over the authenticity of the video. When asked about the TVK camp’s claim that the recording was morphed, Austin rejected the explanation. “No one will accept that it is them. That is what she is also saying,” he said, referring to the response surrounding the recording.
The complaint now places the focus on the ECI’s verification process. Any assessment would require scrutiny of the video, the candidate’s declared expenditure records, bank transactions, receipts and other campaign documentation. The authority’s response will determine whether the allegations lead to further proceedings under election law.
