VELLORE : Voting for the high-stakes 38 parliamentary and 18 Assembly seats in Tamil Nadu may have started off on a slow note on Thursday, but closed with a healthy turnout that crossed 70 per cent as voters braved the humidity and heat to exercise their franchise. While clashes and EVM malfunctioning delayed voting in some parts of the State, including Chennai, voting was by and large peaceful.
In Chennai, a section of voters were pleasantly surprised to find medical check-up facilities set up alongside polling booths. In a historic step towards inclusive elections, 156 residents of the Institute of Mental Health exercised their franchise, some for the first time, at a polling booth set up on the premises. However, indicating that elections are still not fully inclusive, disabled and aged voters found booths across the State lacking in assured accessibility.
Meanwhile, hundreds of voters were shocked to find their names missing from the voter list in the capital city, while others were struggled to find out where to vote as officials had failed to distribute voting slips in some localities. Tragically, 74-year-old T Cecily Moral died allegedly after an argument with election staff at St Antony’s School polling booth at Pudupet over her name missing from the electoral list.
Missing names was a trend seen from Chennai to Kanniyakumari. Another was long waits caused by glitchy EVMs. Even officials were not spared as Cuddalore district collector P Anbuselvan was forced to wait for close to an hour to cast his vote at Manjakuppam in Cuddalore due to a faculty EVM. But he was relatively lucky. At Thiruvathigai polling booth in Panruti, the EVM had no button for the AMMK symbol as a result of which polling was delayed by hours. EVM problems were also reported in several parts of Cuddalore, Panruti, Chidambaram Nellikuppam and Pudukadai over the day. At Pudukadai started two hours late, said sources.
Minor clashes were seen in the northern districts. In Pudupalayam in Cuddalore a fight broke out between DMK and PMK cadres on Thursday evening after the PMK cadres allegedly found DMK cadres canvassing for votes in the area. One of the PMK workers allegedly attacked a DMK worker with a steel chair, causing serious injuries. Two other DMK workers also sustained injuries.
However, it was Vellore district -- where election to the Vellore LS seat was countermanded -- which saw the most ‘action’. Tension and panic prevailed for hours at Kilvisharam, in Arcot, falling under Arakkonam Lok Sabha constituency when a Central Armed Paramilitary Force (CAPF) man opened fire in the air as a large number of PMK men tried to barge into the polling station. This occurred after former Union Minister R Velu and former MLA KL Ilavalagan were stopped by a police officer when they were approaching the polling station in a car.
Cops fire in the air
Tension and panic prevailed for hours at Kilvisharam, in Arcot, under Arakkonam LS constituency when a Central Armed Paramilitary Force man opened fire in the air as a large number of PMK men tried to barge into the polling station. This occurred after former Union Minister R Velu and former MLA KL Ilavalagan were stopped by police when they were approaching the polling station in a car
Groups clash AIADMK members allegedly
pelted stones at a car in which AMMK’s Ambur candidate R Balasubramani was travelling at B Kasbah. Tension prevailed for a while as both groups clashed. The police resorted to lathicharge before defusing the situation. Two persons were injured injuries but no case was filed.