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Say No to Money Culture. Use of money power in elections must stop: Arunachal CM

First Published: 21st September, 2023 9:48 IST

CM Pema Khandu said the candidate who spends the most cash wins the elections

In a big statement, Arunachal Chief Minister Pema Khandu almost made it official that money plays a big role during elections in the state and urged the masses to join his campaign against the corrupt practice.
Addressing a massive public meeting at Yachuli, Khandu was blunt in saying it was unfortunate that in Arunachal Pradesh, the candidate who spends the most cash wins the elections. He said corruption begins when a voter casts his or her vote in exchange for money.
Since the frontier state is going for the assembly election in 2024, Chief Minister Pema Khandu insisted that the impending polls must be ‘based on performance’ and not ‘based on money’.
Sending a clear message, the Chief Minister said, “We always complain against corruption. But have we ever thought where it begins? It begins when a voter casts his or her valuable vote in exchange of money. Unfortunately in our state, the candidate who pumps out the most cash, wins the election. This must be stopped.”
According to Khandu, a candidate who spends cash in crores to win the elections spends his entire term to recover the cash spent.
“Where is the time and zest for the representative, who spends crores of rupees to win elections, to think for development. His five years will be spent to recover the spent cash, earn more cash to invest in his next election,” Khandu observed.
Chief Minister Pema Khandu also appealed youngsters, society leaders, community based organisations and religious leaders to fight this ‘evil,’ so that the coming election is fought on clean and impartial grounds and sincere and honest people get elected to the Legislative Assembly.
Soon after the event, Chief Minister Khandu spoke to newspersons on the issue and said, “The practice of casting vote in elections by taking money is very bad. This practice is not prevalent in entire Arunachal Pradesh, neither in the eastern side or the western side. I want to say that there is a need for correction in terms of the central part of the state. But the awareness against such practice is increasing among the people. Before 2019 elections too, we made a similar appeal, it had an impact.
Now the 2024 election is coming, I believe that there will be a resistance towards use of money culture in politics. I have been appealing the religious leaders also that they sensitize people on this issue. Hopefully, we will get respite from this.”

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