Officials of the Income Tax department raided 32 buildings belonging to Tamil Nadu Health Minister C Vijayabaskar and his relatives in Chennai and other districts of the state on Friday morning, The Times of India reported. The minister has been accused of distributing cash among residents of the RK Nagar constituency where a bye-election will be held on April 12. The officials also raided actor-turned-politician Sarathkumar’s residence in Kottivakkam in South Chennai.

The Income Tax officials have also started questioning a number of MLAs known to be close to Vijayabaskar. Nineteen complexes in Chennai, including the minister’s Greenways Road residence, and 13 buildings in other districts were raided, the English daily reported. These include stone quarries, colleges and the houses of his relatives and associates.

Campaigning for the bye-election to the RK Nagar seat has been intense as this constituency was earlier held by former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. Both factions of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam have accused each other of buying votes.