CHENNAI: As campaigning for the urban local body elections came to an end on Thursday, the stage is set for the polling scheduled on Saturday. The last election for corporations, municipalities and town panchayats was held in 2011 during the AIADMK regime.
As many as nine new districts have been created in the last few years, and several town panchayats and municipalities have been upgraded. Hence, during the delimitation exercise, ward numbers have changed in a few local bodies. “The voters should verify their polling station and ward number before heading for the polling booth,” said an official from the State Election Commission (SEC). Barring a few exceptions, voters have been assigned the same polling booths where they cast their votes during Assembly elections in April, added the official.
The SEC notified elections for filling 12,738 ward member posts in 649 urban local bodies. While 218 candidates have been elected ‘unopposed’, the election for Kadambur town panchayat has been cancelled because of poll violations. The elections were suspended in a few wards following the death of one of the candidates. No nomination was received for ward 8 in Kanadukathan town panchayat in Sivaganga district.
According to official sources, around 57,770 candidates are in the fray for over 12,500 ward member posts in 21 corporations, 138 municipalities and 489 town panchayats. The ULBs have 2.83 crore voters, and of them 1.44 crore are women, 1.38 crore are men and 4,702 are transpersons. For the first time, mayor posts of Chennai and Tambaram Corporations have been reserved for SC women. The elections for chiefs of urban local bodies will be conducted on March 4.
Ahead of polling, Tasmac outlets located within a 5-km radius of urban local bodies facing elections will remain closed (from 10 am on February 17 till 12 am on February 20). Liquor sale will also remain suspended on February 22 during vote counting.
Meanwhile, the SEC said it received 670 complaints over violations of Model Code of Conduct till February 16. Complaints over various issues, including desecration of portraits, distribution of money and gifts, and allocation of symbol, were received. The public can lodge complaints of money distribution at 18004257072/73/74.
“All the arrangements are in place. CCTVs have been installed in sensitive polling stations and counting centres. About 1.02 lakh police personnel have been deployed for security and 1.3 government officials engaged in poll duty,” said a press note.
It has been an eight-cornered contest this time around, as BJP, DMDK and PMK left the AIADMK’s alliance to contest alone. While the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance and AIADMK are contesting in most of the seats, BJP, PMK, AMMK, NTK, MNM and DMDK have fielded candidates in 40 to 60 per cent of seats.