Voter turnout crosses 60 per cent in Tamil Nadu; 71 per cent in Kerala

Chennai, April 6  

Voter turnout crossed 60 per cent in Tamil Nadu by evening as polling continued peacefully with key leaders, including AIADMK’s K Palaniswami, O Panneerselvam and DMK chief MK Stalin, exercising their franchise for the April 6 assembly polls on Tuesday.

Sporadic, poll related minor incidents were, however, reported from a couple of places though there were no major untoward incidents.

Till 5 pm, the polling was 63.60 per cent, Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo told reporters. Namakkal saw the highest of 70.79 per cent and Tirunelveli the lowest with 50.05 per cent.

The ruling AIADMK filed a petition with the CEO against Udhayanidhi Stalin, DMK candidate from Chepauk-Triplicane segment here for allegedly wearing a party insignia that also encompassed party symbol ‘rising sun’ while voting. The AIADMK sought Udhayanidhi’s ‘disqualification’.

AIADMK Lok Sabha MP P Ravindhranath alleged he and his supporters were allegedly attacked by DMK men. Pointing to the damaged windscreen and window of his car, he alleged it was an attempt aimed at a ‘murderous assault’, adding ‘huge stones’ were used for the attack.

DMK’s Thondamuthur constituency nominee in Coimbatore district, Karthikeya Sivesenapathy alleged ruling AIADMK and BJP people tried to attack when he was travelling in a car.

The video of the ‘attack’ was ‘clear’ he told reporters, adding a complaint has been lodged. An AIADMK worker allegedly threatened him too, he claimed.

In Salem district, a scuffle broke out in a polling station between a man who was wearing a ‘PMK’ party towel and a voter who objected to it and police intervened to disperse them. In Tiruvallur and Dindigul districts, AIADMK and DMK men came to blows near polling stations over allegations and counter claims of ‘cavassing votes.’

Congress leader P Chidambaram, DMDK leader Premalatha Vijayakanth, Naam Tamilar Katchi leader Seeman, PMK MP Anbumani Ramadoss, a slew of actors including Surya, Karthi and Sivakarthikeyan were among those who voted.

The state has 88,937 polling stations, 1,29,165 ballot units, 91,180 control units (which comprise the Electronic Voting Machine) and an equal number of VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) units.

As many as 4,17,521 polling personnel are on duty and over 1.50 lakh security personnel including those from state police, Central Armed Police Force, and home guards have been deployed.

There are 10,813 vulnerable polling stations and 537 critical and webcasting is being done from ‘50 per cent’ of the polling stations.

Kerala: Minor incidents of violence reported in some places as polling percentage crosses 71 per cent    

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala continued to witness a massive turnout of voters on Tuesday with 71.31 per cent electors casting their franchise till 6 p, as minor incidents of violence were reported from few places.

According to the Election Commission figures, 71.31 per cent polling was recorded till 6 pm.

While 71.26 per cent of male voters had cast their franchise, 71.35 per cent were women and transgenders 36.33 per cent.

As many as 957 candidates are in the poll arena vying for 140 Assembly seats in the state where the election is being held as per COVID-19 protocol.

Two voters, including a woman, standing in the queue in Aranmula in Pathnamthitta and Chavittuavary in Kottayam collapsed and died.

Tempers ran high at Kattayikonam in Kazhakootam constituency, a stronghold of the Marxist party in Thiruvananthapuram district, as CPI(M) and BJP workers clashed.

Four BJP workers were injured and their car was damaged.

Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran, who is the LDF candidate from the constituency, told reporters that the aim of the protestors was to disrupt the voting procedure and alleged that police had acted as “BJP agent”.

Three Marxist workers, including the minister’s personal staff, have been taken into custody.

He said the BJP workers had reached Kattayikonam in two cars and allegedly attacked CPI(M) workers including a ward councillor and that he would file a complaint before the Election Commission and the DGP.

Puducherry elections: Around 66 per cent polling till 3 pm           

Puducherry: An estimated 66 per cent of the 10.04 lakh voters in the Union Territory of Puducherry exercised their franchise till 3 pm on Tuesday.

Polling was brisk from the beginning.

Official sources said that 66.36 per cent of the voters exercised their franchise in Puducherry while the Karaikal region recorded 64.86 per cent, Mahe 56.53 per cent and Yanam region 71.60 per cent.

Yanam, where the AINRC leader N Rangasamy is contesting, registered a higher percentage of polling than the other three regions from the beginning.

Rangasamy is seeking election to the territorial assembly from Thattanchavady segment in Puducherry region also.

The contest is keen between the AINRC-led NDA and the Congress-led Secular Democratic alliance.

Former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader V Narayanasamy, however, bowed out of the poll contest on the ground that he had to coordinate poll related work in the union territory.

He had also claimed at a recent press meet that the high command had asked him to contest but had refrained the contest only to coordinate poll related works.

The NDA, however, had claimed that the Congress high command had refused ticket to Narayanasamy in spite of his long service in the party.

The BJP and AIADMK are the other constituents of the AINRC-led NDA here.

While AINRC fielded candidates in 16 of the total 30 constituencies the BJP is aspiring to annex nine seats while the AIADMK is contesting from five seats.

The Congress has fielded candidates in 14 out of the 15 seats earmarked to it.

The national party is supporting an independent in Yanam.

The DMK, its main alliance partner, has fielded candidates in 13 seats and the VCK and CPI are contesting from one constituency each.

There was tight police security at all booths.

Polling has by and large been peaceful so far.

Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan and her husband cast their votes in Chennai, a release from her office said. PTI

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