Polling begins on brisk note in TN

Chennai, May 8: Polling began on a brisk note in Tamil Nadu this morning in all 234 Assembly constituencies with about ten to 15 per cent of the voters exercising their franchise, even as authorities provided unprecedented security cover to ensure peaceful polling.

An estimated 4.63 crore electorate are expected to cast their votes till 1700 hrs to decide the fortunes of 2,586 candidates, including 160 women, in the fray.

According to reports received at the police headquarters and the office of Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), polling was going on smoothly and no untoward incident reported from any part of the state.

CEO Naresh Gupta told UNI that barring some minor incidents, polling was going on smoothly. In few booths, polling was held up for about 20 to 30 minutes, following problems in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), but they were set right immediately.

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

In the Thousand Lights constituency, where DMK Deputy General Secretary M K Stalin is seeking re-election, about 100 people stagaed a road 'roko', in protest at not finding their names in electoral rolls.

The protestors claimed they were issued photo identity cards and had even voted in the May 2004 Lok Sabha elections, but denied the right to cast their votes now. Police intervened and dispersed them.

A UNI Correspondent who visited some of the polling booths in South Chennai area said long queues could be seen in many of the polling stations right from the morning. Youth could be seen in large numbers.

A report from Tiruvallur said commencement of polling was delayed by about 30 minutes in two polling stations as the EVMs failed to work. They were replaced immediately. District Collector Pankaj Kumar Bansal told UNI that polling was peaceful in all the eight constituencies in the district. A report from Vellore said that people, fearing oppressive heat, turned up at the polling stations at 0700 hrs itself and voting was brisk. In the first two hours, about 15 per cent of the electorate have exercised their franchise in the district, it said.

At one booth, polling could not start at 0700 hrs following a fault in the EVMs. The fault was rectified and polling began after a delay of about 20 minutes, it said.

The election authorities have pressed into service more than one lakh security personnel, including an unprecedented 198 companies of para-military and armed personnel.

Additional forces have been deployed in all the 60 constituencies, identified as ''sensitive.'' The Election Commission has posted additional special observors in these constituencies.

Today's poll will decide the fate of several 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.

UNI

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