VELLORE: Showing a lot of enthusiasm in exercising the franchise, first-time voters in Vellore have said they felt ‘thrilled’ over the fact that they are also part of the electorate to script the fate of Tamil Nadu for the next five years.
“It is a thrilling experience. I was very much enthusiastic to cast my vote. I take pride in having the right and part of the electorate to change the fate of Tamil Nadu through votes,” says V Swathi, a first-time voter of Kangeyanallur.
She had her anxious moments before voting. Though her name was enrolled, she could not get a voter identity card. However, with the help of other ID proof, she was allowed to vote.
Pursuing a course in engineering, Senthamarai of Gandhi Nagar, Katpadi, joined her grandfather Durai Murugan, to perform her democratic duty. She had a word of appeal to the voters. “Everyone should come out to vote. It is our right. While voting, we should follow social distancing norms as per covid protocol,” she states.
For S Lilly, another first-time voter, it is a feel-good experience to fulfil the democratic duty.
“I feel good to poll my vote in the elections. I was curious before casting the vote,” she notes.
Meanwhile, the polling witnessed a sluggish start in the first two hours after it got underway at 7 am. Up to 9 am, the polling percentage in the Vellore district was 10.8 per cent and 16.58 in Tirupathur district.
Top leaders, in the region, DMK general secretary Durai Murugan cast his vote at Don Bosco school in Katpadi, and Tamil Nadu Minister and AIADMK district secretary KC Veeramani polled his vote at a booth in Jolarpet constituency where he is seeking the mandate for the third time.
In some booths, Electronic voting machines (EVM) glitches delayed the polling.
Two poll authorities suffered a heart attack while on duty. One is a police officer-Ambur DSP CK Sachidanantham and the other is Jayaraj, a zonal officer in Katpadi Assembly segment, sources said.