TENKASI/TIRUNELVELI/KANNIYAKUMARI: Instances of over 200 people's names missing from the voter's list were reported at two polling stations in Kadayanallur on Friday. As a result, a verbal spat had ensued between the polling staff and those whose names were missing.
Deputy Superintendent of Police G Venkadesan, Puliyangudi, pacified the voters and requested them to submit a petition to the returning officer. Technical glitches were recorded in the electronic voting machines in many places of both constituencies. However, they were resolved within an hour. At Keezha Kattoor polling station in Alangulam assembly sector, the poll timing had to be extended by two hours due to a technical glitch.
AIADMK's Tirunelveli candidate M Jansirani cast her vote in Thisayanvilai. NTK's B Sathya cast her vote in Nochikulam. Assembly speaker M Appavu exercised his franchise in Kavalkinaru, while DMK's Tenkasi candidate Rani Srikumar recorded her vote in Sankarankovil.
In Kanniyakumari, tribals from the Pechiparai hills crossed the dam by a boat to cast their votes at the tribal residential school in Pechiparai. K Kumar, from Thatchamalai tribal village, told TNIE that voters from Thatchamalai, Nadanampothai, Mudavanpothai, Kalapparai, Chinnamootutheri, Thottamalai and Maramalai tribal villages were ferried to Pechiparai, following which they had to walk for a km to reach the polling booth.
More than 500 voters paid for their boat trips, Kumar said and added that a polling booth at Thatchamalai would be of help. Given the relentless heat, voters thronged booths at 7 am. Voter turnout across booths varied.
For 19-year-old EB Reshma, BFSc student and first-time voter from Erachakulam, the heat failed to scorch her maiden experience as a voter. Snags at EVMs were reported at some polling stations across the district, which caused delays. These were rectified as polling was resumed.
Sources said, a person had attempted to remove a wire of the ancillary unit of EVMs at a booth in South Thamaraikulam police limit. His actions were thwarted and a police compliant filed against him. Polling was peaceful across Kanniyakumari district, said Kanniyakumari SP E Sundaravathanan.
Vilavancode assembly bypoll
Names of the candidates were written in Malayalam along with Tamil language at the entrance of the booths at Kaliyakkavilai, which is located on the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border. Election officials said as Malayalam voters also lived in the area, names of candidates contesting the Kanniyakumari Lok Sabha and Vilavancode assembly by-poll were mentioned in both languages. Of the total 2,37,382 voters in Vilavancode, 1,17,694 are men, 1, 19, 685 women, and three are transpersons. A booth agent said that a snag was reported at an EVM at a booth at Kodayar, but it was rectified.