Tamil Nadu local body elections HIGHLIGHTS | First phase polling for 27 districts ends
Online Desk
After eight years, people of Tamil Nadu voted to elect local body representatives on Friday (today). Long queues were seen in many of the polling booths across the state. There were a few stray incidents of violence after a peaceful start to the elections.
The first phase of the rural local body polls held in 27 districts, covers about 1.30 crore of the six crore voters. The second and final phase will be held on December 30. Totally, 2.31 lakh candidates are in the fray for 91,975 posts in rural local bodies in the 27 districts.
In the first phase, 45,336 rural local bodies are going to the polls for 37,830 Village Panchayat Ward member posts and 4,700 Village Panchayat Chairperson’s posts.
Here are the live updates from different polling booths across Tamil Nadu:
Tamil Nadu CM casts his vote
Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami along with his family members waited in queue and voted at Siluvampalayam village in Salem district.
Traditional welcome to the voters!
Sticking to old tradition, the people of Therkku Aamur in Madurai district give betel leaves to the voters as they would be selecting the representative of the village. (Photo | EPS/k.k.sundar)
24.08% voter turnout at 11 AM
Till 11 AM, the polling percentage in 27 districts stands at 24.08 per cent, says State Election Commission.
85-year-old arrives in Ambulance to cast her vote in Karur
CM Edappadi K Palaniswami to cast his vote
Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami heading towards his Siluvampalayam village from Salem Airport to cast his vote.
Voter turnout at 11 AM
25.67% polling in Perambalur district.
18.90% polling in Ariyalur district.
24.7% polling in Sivaganga district.
13.65% polling in Tiruvannamalai district.
21% polling in Thanjavur district.
22.32% polling in Krishnagiri district.
17.13% polling in Dharmapuri district.
34.8% polling in Tiruchydistrict.
State Election Commission on watch
Staff monitoring the polling process of local body elections, being held at 27 district in tamilnadu, at the office of state selection commission in Chennai on Friday. (Photo | EPS/P Jawahar)
Minister Vijayabaskar's advise to officials
Transport minister Vijayabaskar, after casting his vote, advised the officials not to use the ear buds for inking the voter's finger and instead to use the prescribed brush.
Husband 'key' to wife's victory
To canvass for the independent candidate Selvi who contests in key symbol for Panchayat Ward Member post in Madurai, her husband Oor Kavalan wore a key garland and sought the people to vote for key symbol.
Leprosy afflicted woman casts her vote
Vaanambal, a 85 year old leprosy afflicted woman casts her vote at the booth set up in Pudukkottai district rehabilitation centre, where she is an inmate.
Cash distribution inside polling booth at Tiruvallur
Villagers boycott election at Harur block, Dharmapuri
10.4% voter turnout at 9 AM
Across Tamil Nadu, 10.4 per cent of votes have been polled till 9 AM in 27 districts where elections to rural local bodies are going on, says State Election Commissioner R Palaniswami.
Visually challenged voters queue up outside polling booth
Voter turnout at 9 AM
12% polling in Dharmapuri district.
12.03% polling in Salem district.
6.8% polling in Sivaganga district.
16% polling in Tiruchy district.
7.47% polling in Madurai district.
Breakfast first, polling next
Senior citizens among early voters
Women waiting to cast their votes
Diversity and the local body polls
This is the first local body election in TN in which 50% of the seats are reserved for women. By simply offering women the opportunity to occupy political space regardless of their background, diversity in representation is already guaranteed. Not enough has changed in the state. But some things certainly have. (READ THE FULL EDITORIAL HERE)
Ballot box robbery attempt
MP Thirumavalavan casts his vote at Anganur Panchayat Union Primary School in Ariyalur
Kathiripatti Panchayat polls for Village Panchayat President post rescheduled to 30 December
The polling for the president post in Kathripatti panchayat in Pappireddipatti block in Dharmapuri district has been rescheduled to 30.12.2019 after over 170 voters cast votes in wrong ballot sheets
Sub collector M Prathap said that the polling officer failed to notice the wrong ballots leading to the confusion
Nine people contested for the Village Panchayat president post but the ballot sheet only had five candidates names and symbols.
As the 170 casted votes cannot be cancelled, the elections have been rescheduled the election on 30.12.2019
Elections for Village Panchayat Ward Members, Panchayat Union Ward Members and District panchayat elections carried on unhindered
Polling ends for local body elections in 27 districts, those in queue issued tokens
Polling comes to an end for the first phase of elections to Rural Local Bodies in 27 districts; those who were in queue at 5 p.m have been issued tokens and they will be allowed vote.
Only 1 out of 40 transgender votes has been cast in Cuddalore district
Voter turnout - 3 PM Update
57.50% votes have been polled in 27 districts in the TN Rural Body Elections till 3 PM
Karur: 61.48%
Namakkal: 66%
Tiruvannamalai: 51.31%
Krishnagiri: 58.50%
Dharmapuri: 52.39%
Tiruchy: 61.4%
Tirupur: 56.69%
Ramanathapuram: 55.51%
Virudhunagar: 57.25%
Sivaganga: 62.4%
Salem: 62.96%
Theni: 62%
Perambalur: 61.09%
Ariyalur: 55.8%
Pudukottai: 62.34%
Erode: 58.89%
Madurai: 58.53%
Voters dropped off in AIADMK vehicles in Cuddalore Panchayat Union
Two wards, one booth
Voters in Thiruvur Panchayat of Tiruvallur district complain of long wait to cast vote as voting for two wards has been kept in one booth.
WATCH | Panchayat president post auctioned, allege Dalit members of a Perambalur village settlement, boycott polls
Overall voter turnout - 1 PM Update
42.47% votes have been polled in 27 districts in the Tamil Nadu rural Local Body Elections till 1 PM
District-wise voter Turnout at 1 pm
Salem: 44.18%
Pudukkottai: 47.40%
Madurai: 45.91%
Thanjavur: 39%
Tiruvarur: 48%
Virudhunagar: 44%
Perambalur: 44.43%
Ariyalur: 34.21%
Voter ID goof-up!
A 43-year-old woman was not allowed to vote as her voter ID has a photograph of a male. The woman, Amaravathi, alleges that she has been applying for correction for the 15 years and also has been voting with same ID in previous elections.
Voter turnout at 1 PM
50.02% polling in Karur district
40.36 % polling in Cuddalore district
43 % polling in Tirupur district
33.85 % polling in Tiruvannamalai district
Police detain voters at Tiruvallur district
WATCH | Tamil Nadu votes in rural local body polls!
CM Palaniswami goes back to ballot days
Violence in Tiruvallur
First reports of violence are coming as polling booth gets vandalised in at Papparambakkam Panchayat, Tiruvallur district.