Election Commission will be keeping a very close eye on the happenings in the wild life resorts in the Western Ghats as they are the most ideal places where money dealings could take place.

Election commission officials charged with waging war against money power in elections, have identified resorts in and around the four Tiger reserves – Madumalai, Anamalai, Sathyamangalam and Kalakad –other wild life reserves, national parks, bird sanctuaries in the region that attract tourists in the summer season.

Bustling with tourists, often whose number sees a spike of upto 25 per cent in the months of May and June coinciding with holiday of schools and colleges, the wild life reserves located within jungles away from the hustle and bustle of the cities offer just the right kind of environment where political workers could carry on with their money dealings away from the preying eyes of the EC staff.

The election commission officials confirmed to Covai Post that very soon they would check all the resorts in and around wild life reserves and keep an eye on activities in the region. Although the forest security staff regularly check the vehicles entering their respective reserves and resorts, many of them find it difficult to examine the vehicles belonging to politicians visiting the place on a regular basis.

The others who have a rapport with the forest officials could also be deployed by political parties for handling money activities, said an activist who pointed fingers at NGO activists, who often have good equation with the forest officials as they regularly visit them.

“Their vehicles are seldom checked and waved off with a cursory glance,” the activist said.

As these Tiger reserves are located close to the borders with other states, there is every possibility that money could enter Tamil Nadu to these reserves and further distributed into different parts of the state from there later. Chances are that people from local tribes could be involved in such activities. This possibility has not escaped the Election Commission.

But as of now, the EC has not started checking Wild Life reserves. “We will start checking on wildlife reserves and resorts in and around the reserves close to elections,” said Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh B Lakhoni responding to the Covai Post on this.