25-30 PC polling till noon in TN elections, Jaya, MK cast votes

Chennai, May 8: An estimated 25 to 30 per cent of the more than 4.63 crore electorate cast their votes till noon, as polling in 234 Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu was proceeding smoothly, barring minor incidents.

Amid an unprecedented security cover, polling began on a brisk note when it commenced at 0700 hrs this morning with people turning up in large numbers in the city and other parts of the state to beat the searing heat.

''Polling is by and large peaceful, barring few minor incidents,'' Chief Electoral Officer Naresh Gupta told newspersons at the Secretariat.

Over 4.63 crore electorate are expected to cast their votes till 1700 hrs in the single phase polling, to decide the electoral fortunes of 2,586 candidates, including 160 women, in the fray.

Heavyweights, including Chief Minister and AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa (Andipatti), DMK president M Karunanidhi (Chepauk), DMK Deputy General Secretary M K Stalin (Thousand Lights), actor Vijayakanth (Vriddhachalam) and several State Ministers are in the fray.

Mr Karunanidhi, who remained unbeaten in the last ten elections, is contesting the elections for the record eleventh time seeking re-election from Chepauk for the third successive term.

In the city, polling began on a brisk note with people forming long queues right from 0700 hrs. At a number of polling stations, men outnumbered women voters.

Young people, who were voting for the first time, turned up to the polling stations with enthusiasm writ large on their faces.

Women, attired in their best came to the polling stations in groups.

Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, DMK President M Karunanidhi, Union Ministers Dayanidhi Maran and G K Vasan, Actor and Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) Leader Vijayakanth, Nepoleon, Sarathkumar, and S V Sekar were among the early voters.

Ms Jayalalithaa, accompanied by her close friend Sasikala, cast their votes at a polling station in Stella Mary's College while Mr Karunanidhi and his family members, including Mr Stalin, exercised their franchise at Gopalapuram, coming under Thousand Lights constituency, where Mr Stalin was seeking re-election.

Ms Jayalalithaa was seen clad in green colour saree, her lucky and favourite colour.

Actor Sarathkumar, accompanied by his actor wife Radhika cast his vote at Kottivakkam, while Actor Vijayakanth, who is seeking election from Virudhachalam in Cuddalore district, exercised his franchise at Saligram, coming under T Nagar Constituency.

In Coimbatore district 30 to 40 per cent of polling was recorded till noon. Udumalpet and Avinashi registered the highest polling of 45 per cent while Coimbatore recorded 31 per cent. Tension prevailed at a polling station at Rajendar Nagar in Andipatti constituency, where Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa is seeking election, when her rival and DMK candidate Seeman was ''assaulted'' after he allegedly pulled down and stopped functioning of an EVM in a booth, in his bid to prevent ''bogus voting.'' Police registered cases against Mr Seeman on charges of damaging the EVM and against some AIADMK workers for assaulting the candidate.

In another incident, a car belonging to an AIADMK leader was set on fire near Kurumbur Railway station in Tiruchendur constituency and at Ottapidaram constituency, DMK and AIADMK workers clashed with Puthiya Tamizhagam volunteers. They smashed the windscreen of the car.

Polling was held up or commenced late by about 30 minutes in some of the polling booths in the city and Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Cuddalore districts following problems in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

Officials, however, immediately set right the problems and replaced faulty EVMs, enabling early resumption of polling.

People staged 'road roko' agitations in the city and other places in the state, protesting against the non inclusion of their names in th electoral rolls. They claimed that they were prevented from voting, despite having photo identity cards. They had voted in the May 2004 Lok Sabha elections.

In three villages in Cuddalore, Kancheepuram and Dindigul districts, about 2,300 voters have ''boycotted'' polling, pressing their demands.

UNI

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