TN Local Body Polls: 19.61% Voter Turnout Recorded Until 11 am

Elections are being held at Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Tenkasi, Tirunelveli and Vellore.

Tamil Nadu Election Commissioner V Palani Kumar confirmed that a voter turnout of 19.61 percent was recorded until 11 am, in the first four hours of the Tamil Nadu rural local body polls.

Local body polls are underway in nine districts of the state namely Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Ranipet, Tiruppatur, Kallakurichi, Villupuram, Tenkasi, Tirunelveli and Vellore districts.

Polling has been brisk in several constituencies since 7 am when the voting began. According to the election commission, 79,433 candidates are contesting for 23,998 seats in these districts. Around 1.1 lakh government elections have been deployed in these districts for election duty.

Voting began at 7 am and will continue until 6 pm. The last one hour of voting will be specifically reserved for COVID-19 patients (including symptomatic patients).

The State election commission has held several rounds of virtual meetings with the district administrations and the police to ensure a full-proof poll. In many constituencies at Kallakurichi and Villupuram, large queues were seen and in other districts, moderate polling was recorded.

Polling was stopped in several constituencies including Ammundi in Vellore due to several reasons. Violence between different parties broke out in some booths which led to polling in those booths being called off.

After violence broke out in constituencies in Tirunelveli and Dindigul, a large contingent of police was deployed in all the districts where elections are being held.

In Southern Tamil Nadu, the recent incidents of violence in which four people were beheaded within a span of five days have led to a friction in the districts of Tirunelveli and Dindigul. The elections in Tirunelveli will be held under heavy police posse as the State Election Commission does not want any violence to happen between the Dalit communities and the Thevars in this area.

In Kallakurichi and Villupuram, the district administration has seized unaccounted money that was brought for distribution among the voters. Sources said that money to the tune of more than Rs 25 lakh was seized from several persons in Kallakurichi and Villupuram districts.

In many districts where elections are being held, the commission has directed the police and excise officials to stay alert and to ensure full security during the polls.

(Published in arrangement with The News Minute)