Re-poll ordered in eight booths in TN

Re-polling would be held in eight polling stations spread across six constituencies in Tamil Nadu on Saturday, Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Kumar said.The re-polls were necessitated due to defective display of Electoral Voting Machines, damage of EVMs by unruly elements and also boycott of voters in one place protesting shifting of polling station among other reasons, he told mediapersons.

Elections to the 234-member Tamil Nadu assembly were held on April 13. The re-polls would be held in two polling stations in Samathikuppam (Neyveli constituency in Cuddalore district), one in Ananthamangalam (Killiur-Kanniyakumari), two in Valaiyavuttam and Paruthikodi (Thiruvadaimarudhur-Thanjavur district), one in Arni (Arni in Tiruvannamalai district), one in Sankarapuram (Bodinaikanur in Theni district) and one in Puliyampatti (Sankarankovil-Tirunelveli district).

He said in the booth in Puliyampatti the polling agents were seen in the video captured by the web camera taking the voters to the voting compartments to cast their franchise, which was a violation. Cases would be registered against the presiding officer and other officials of the booth, he said.

On security cover in counting centres where the EVMs had been kept in strong rooms, Kumar said 27 companies of Central Reserve Police Force would be deployed in the interior perimeter while Tamil Nadu Special Police would guard the outer perimeter.

To a question about overcrowding when film actor Rajnikant cast his vote in a city booth, he said visuals recorded in the booth had been sent to the Election Commission for its consideration. On the conduct of the polls without any major incident, he said the credit should go to the entire team.

"The Collectors, the flying squad and finally it is the voters who came out in large numbers. People are the real hero (for this success)." He said Karur registered the highest poll percentage of 86.06 per cent while Chennai at 68.02 per cent recorded the lowest followed by Kanniyakumari district with 68.93 per cent.

In Tiruvarur where Chief Minister M Karunanidhi contested, 81.42 per cent voters cast their franchise while Srirangam where All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Chief Jayalalithaa is in fray witnessed 80.95 per cent. Kolathur constituency in Chennai where Deputy Chief Minister M K Stalin contested recorded 68.25 per cent polling.