Chennai: In a startling complaint, P Saravanan, the Assistant Expenditure Observer of The Nilgiris parliamentary constituency has alleged that the Returning Officer is pressuring him to fudge the poll expenses of DMK candidate A Raja, the former Telecom Minister. Raja is pitted against the BJP's L Murugan, the Union Minister of State for Fisheries.
In a complaint addressed to Chief Electoral Officer, Tamil Nadu, he charged that the expenditures booked in the Shadow Observation Register "of our team is differing much more lakhs to the book of accounts of the candidate Mr.A.Raja (DMK)."
In order to downward the booked expenditure, "the Returning Officer is repeatedly harassing me and personally looking into each and every expenditure of that particular candidate and speaking as the mouth of that candidate and trying to utilise her position and trying to control the accounting procedures in favour of Raja," he claimed in the written complaint.
According to him, the Returning Officer since April 8 was compelling him to find ways for the redrawal of the booked expenditure of Raja.
"In the higher order of misuse of her power, on 09.04.2024 all the records of that candidate were called up to her camp office and the Shadow Observation Register (the heart and soul of the election expenditure watching) was forcefully received from me and photocopied and further she warned me to act under her control and not for the lhe Observer," he alleged and claimed a life threat was issued
Hence he sought the intervention of the Election Commission in the matter urgently.
"We have taken note of this based on press report. After receiving reports of concerned officials, further steps will follow," said Satyabrata Sahoo, Chief Electoral Officer, Tamil Nadu.
Recently, the Election Commission has ordered the suspension of an official leading a flying squad in Nilgiris district for failing to check thoroughly Raja's vehicle.
