'Smooth' polling underway in TN amid tight security, 26 per cent polling till 11 am

There are 10,813 vulnerable polling stations and 537 critical and webcasting is being done from '50 per cent' of the polling stations
Image for representational purpose only (Pic: TNIE)
Image for representational purpose only (Pic: TNIE)

Polling is underway in Tamil Nadu with top leaders including AIADMK's K Palaniswami, O Panneerselvam, DMK chief M K Stalin and celebrities like Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan exercising their franchise on Tuesday.

Top actor Vijay rode a bicycle to the polling booth, sparking speculations if it had something to do with the fuel prices, but his publicist later clarified that the star did so considering car parking problems in the small street where the polling booth was located.

Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo after voting at a polling station here told reporters that the polling exercise was on 'smooth' across Tamil Nadu barring 'one or two' places that witnessed issues related to the Electronic Voting Machines and these were attended to immediately.

'Free and fair polls are on,' he said adding so far there has been no complaints and observers and zonal parties were monitoring the polling exercise and in case of any 'problem' they would immediately take action.

He also said no untoward incident has been reported so far, even as the state's 26.29 per cent of the over 6.28 crore voters excercised their franchise by 11 am. Even before polling began at 7 am, people could be seen eagerly queuing up before the polling stations and voter information slips were distributed to the people to help them identify their booths.

Covid-19 protocols were in place during the polling and the infected have been allowed to vote in the last hour of 7am to 7 pm voting duration. They will be provied with PPE kits, officials said. Chief Minister Palaniswami accompanied by his grandson, cast his vote at Siluvampalayam in his native Salem district and urged all people to cast vote. "I request (all) to perform our democratic duty," he told reporters.

Speaker P Dhanapal voted in Salem, Panneerselvam in Theni district and Ministers including SP Velumani and Sellur K Raju in Coimbatore and Madurai, respectively. DMK president Stalin, after paying homage at the mausoleum of his party patriarch M Karunanidhi and party founder CN Annadurai cast his vote here.

Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Haasan, who is trying his luck for the first time in Assembly polls, cast his vote here before heading to Coimbatore from where he is contesting polls. After visiting a poll booth in Coimbatore, Haasan alleged money distribiution was happening outside and that tokens were also being given to be redeemed for articles and hinted that he may file a complaint on the matter.

Congress leader P Chidambaram, DMDK leader Premalatha Vijayakanth, Naam Tamilar Katchi leader Seeman, PMK MP Anbumani Ramadoss, a slew of actors including Surya, Karthi and Sivakarthikeyan were among those who voted today.

Actors Rajinikanth, Ajithkumar and Vijay were among the celebrities who exercised their franchise here. Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan and state BJP Chief L Murugan also cast their votes in the city. The state has 88,937 polling stations, 1,29,165 ballot units, 91,180 control units (which comprise the Electronic Voting Machine) and an equal number of VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) units.

As many as 4,17,521 polling personnel are on duty and over 1.50 lakh security personnel including those from state police, Central Armed Police Force, and home guards have been deployed. There are 10,813 vulnerable polling stations and 537 critical and webcasting is being done from '50 per cent' of the polling stations.

Related Stories

No stories found.
logo
EdexLive
www.edexlive.com