BY the time this issue of People’s Democracy is printed, by-polls for thousands of local bodies in Tamil Nadu would have been held. The polling is on September 18. The issue at stake is ‘democracy’. The presence of around 20 state ministers in Coimbatore city for the mayoral elections by-poll has raised suspicion. Their arrival appeared to be for reasons other than campaign. AIADMK cadres were busy in distributing cash for votes till the late night on September 17. Not only in Coimbatore city, but everywhere across the state they indulged in cash distribution. In Coimbatore, hundreds of members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) picketed the collector’s camp office on September 14 urging the authorities concerned to ensure proper implementation of the model code of conduct (MCC) for the by-poll. Here, the CPI (M) is contesting and its candidate is C Padmanabhan, who has the support of the CPI and the JD(S). The demonstrators sought removal of the banners and party flags that were illegally erected by the AIADMK across the city and to put an end to the misuse of power by the party’s ministers and senior functionaries, who are camping here. They alleged that there is a threat that the ruling party may indulge in booth-capturing on the day of polling. CPI (M) protesters led by former MP, P R Natarajan, Party district secretary V Ramamoorthy, mayoral candidate C Padmanabhan, and his chief agent N Jayabalan submitted a petition to the district collector. The Party also submitted a petition to the chief electoral officer of Tamil Nadu. On September 16, the last day for campaign, AIADMK persons were caught red-handed by the CPI(M) cadres while distributing money to the voters in Irugur gram panchayat in Coimbatore district where a neck-to-neck contest is there. On the same day, TK Rangarajan, CPI (M) Central Committee member campaigned for the Party candidate in Coimbatore city. AIADMK goons tried to attack and disturb this campaign. But the cadres of the CPI (M) strongly resisted. In this background, state secretary of the CPI (M) G Ramakrishnan had said that in the conduct of the by-elections to the local bodies, democratic norms are being violated. Addressing a press conference at Cuddalore, where CPI (M) candidate G Madhavan is contesting for the municipal chairperson post, Ramakrishnan said that as per rules, by-elections to the local bodies ought to be held within six months of the posts falling vacant. The ruling dispensation in the state had not only failed on this score but had also acted as a stumbling block to the opposition party candidates filing their nominations. The state government that was persistent with its demand for higher allocation of powers and funds from the centre, was neither keen on devolving powers to the local bodies nor on allocating adequate funds for development works. G Ramakrishnan added that the Left parties as part of their ongoing struggle against the anti-people policies of the centre and the state governments had chosen to field the candidates in the by-election to local bodies wherever they have the winning chances. On the day earlier to the polling, on September 17, G Ramakrishnan had sent a detailed complaint to the Election Commission and also demanded to conduct a free and fair election. Earlier while campaigning in Cuddalore for the party candidate, TK Rangarajan said that the AIADMK leader and chief minister Jayalalithaa had chosen to dwell upon the so-called achievements of her government, conveniently omitting the lapses in the performance of the local bodies. There was a noticeable fall in the standard of education in the state as not many students could get admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology. Rangarajan said that lack of civic amenities, including sanitation, had now come to be viewed as holding immense business prospects. For instance, the mosquito menace had acquired a serious proportion which in turn had given a thrust to sale of mosquito repellents. The sale of such repellents was said to have touched Rs 20,000 crore last year and it was expected to go up to Rs 25,000 crore by 2025. TK Rangarajan said also that the Dravidian parties seemed to have evolved a pattern in regard to the local body elections. Or in other words when the DMK happened to be the ruling party the AIADMK would not contest the local body elections and vice versa. He wondered what kind of democracy it was. Rangarajan pointed out that the centre had cut the kerosene quota to Tamil Nadu saying that too many bogus ration cards were in circulation in the state and the black-marketing of the fuel had become a roaring business. Though it was an allegation, the ruling party had not voiced any protest against the centre’s move. U Vasuki, K Balakrishnan and P Sampath, all Central Committee members of the Party also campaigned for the CPI (M) candidates in various districts including Kanyakumari and Madurai.