The Election Commission (EC) has cancelled the Lok Sabha election to Vellore constituency in Tamil Nadu on April 16, two days ahead of polling, after the recovery of a huge amount of cash from the associate of a DMK leader.

A government notification rescinding the polls said the EC was “fully satisfied that the current electoral process in Vellore has been seriously vitiated on account of unlawful activities of certain candidates and some workers of the political party”.

Perhaps, this is the first time that an election to a Lok Sabha constituency has been cancelled over the use of money power. In 2016, the EC had cancelled the polls for Aravakurichi and Thanjavur Assembly constituencies, originally scheduled along with all other constituencies on May 16, following the seizure of a large amount of cash by election officials.

The byelection to R.K. Nagar Assembly seat in Tamil Nadu was cancelled in April 2017 following the similar seizure of huge cash, allegedly meant for bribing voters.

The cancellation of the polls in Vellore, scheduled for April 18 along with 38 other constituencies in the state, evoked sharp reactions from the DMK, which alleged it was an attempt by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “besmirch” the party using the EC. DMK treasurer Durai Murugan, whose son Kathir Anand is the party candidate in Vellore, said that cancelling the poll was a “murder of democracy”. DMK’s allies also condemned the move. The ruling AIADMK demanded that Anand be disqualified from contesting the polls instead of cancelling the election.

A copy of the official notification cancelling the election was released by Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo. The notification said that in the EC’s opinion, conducting the poll in Vellore in such a vitiated atmosphere would “severely jeopardise the conduct of free and fair election”. Hence, the EC recommended cancellation to the government, which gave its nod.

President Ram Nath Kovind issued the order rescinding the polls by amending portions of the original poll notification.

The EC took the decision after the district police had filed a complaint against Anand as well as two party functionaries on the basis of a report from the income tax department on April 10.

Anand was charged under the Representation of the People Act for giving “wrong information” in his election affidavit filed along with his nomination papers. The other two, identified as Srinivasan and Damodaran, were booked under bribery charges.

On March 30, income tax officials had conducted searches at the residence of Anand’s father Durai Murugan over the suspected use of unaccounted money for electioneering, and seized Rs 10.50 lakh, which was allegedly “excess” cash. Two days later, tax officials said they had seized Rs 11.53 crore from a cement godown belonging to a DMK leader’s associate in the district.