Chennai

A formal complaint was submitted to the Election Commission of India on Wednesday seeking action against Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam over allegations of planning an online political campaign during the mandated pre-poll silence period.

The complaints were filed separately by Chennai residents L. Devasagayam and P. Adikesavan before Archana Patnaik, requesting intervention to safeguard electoral secrecy and prevent unlawful campaigning ahead of polling scheduled for April 23.

The complainants alleged that TVK intended to run a large-scale digital campaign on April 22 despite restrictions in force during the “silent period,” when political canvassing is prohibited.

They further claimed the party planned to secretly record votes allegedly cast in its favour and circulate those videos on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and X to create an impression of widespread support, influence voters and amplify the narrative through coordinated online activity.

According to the complaint, such actions would threaten the secrecy of the ballot, a core principle of free and fair elections.

Adikesavan also alleged that similar videos had circulated during previous Puducherry Assembly elections and warned that repeating such tactics in Tamil Nadu, with its much larger electorate, could seriously damage public trust in the electoral process.

READ MORE: Pahalgam attack anniversary: Memorial for Adil, 25 tourists mocks Pak's treachery

The complaint urged the Election Commission to direct the Cyber Crime Wing to monitor major social media platforms in real time on polling day and remove any content violating election rules.