Polling picks up in Chennai after dull turnout in 1st 60 mins

Chennai, May 8: After moderate to dull turnout in the first hour, polling picked up in the city as people turned up in large numbers to exercise their franchise to choose the 12th Tamil Nadu Assembly.

Large queues in front of various polling booths were seen in the sensitive North Chennai area.

With a heat wave prevailing, a large number of people, both men and women, decided to cast their vote early to avoid standing in the queue in sweltering conditions.

But for some minor problems like malfunctioning of EVMs and names missing from voters list leading to road blockade agitations in one or two places in the city, polling was by and large peaceful.

A festive atmosphere prevailed in some booths where women, attired in their best, turned out early to cast their vote, outnumbering men.

A married woman, who was among the early voters in a booth at St Teresa Girls Higher Secondary School in Royapuram constituency, said she came to exercise her franchise early to avoid the heat.

''Moreover, being a holiday today, I thought I can exercise my democratic right early, so that I can take care of my children at home. I have to go home soon to prepare breakfast for the children'', she said.

An eldery woman, Kaniammal complained that she could not cast her vote despite possessing the voter ID card as her name was missing from the list.

Displaying her ration card and the Voter ID Card she told UNI ''during the revision of rolls, my two sons' names were included.

They figure in the voter's list. But my name is not there. I had been exercising my franchise for the last so many years. This time I cannot do it'', she said exasperated at a polling booth in Government Children Home for Boys in Royapuram.

There were complaints of snag in EVMs in at least ten booths in the city, in areas like Gopalapuram, Choolaimedu, Anna Nagar, Egmore and Harbour, leading to delay in starting the polling. The faulty machines were rectified. Road blockades were reported in Thousand Lights and Perambur constituencies. About 700 voters hit the streets in protest against missing of their names in the voters list, despite possessing Voter ID Cards.

They dispersed after registering their protest.

Though the EC had given an option to the voters of not voting in favour of any candidate by filling up the Form 49 (O), no voter seemed to have availed the offer.

''So far no one has asked for the forms,'' an official at a polling booth in Chennai Corporation Higher Secondary School in R K Nagar constituency said.

Despite the Election Commission (EC) imposing ban on carrying cell phones, voters were seen freely speaking on their mobiles while standing in queues at the polling booths.

Police personnel on security duty were seen regulating the crowds and guiding the voters to their respective booths. About 350 mobile units, patrolling the city, were seen informing the public standing in groups near the polling booths to disperse.

Chennai City Police Commissioner Lathika Saran visited some polling booths and inspected the security arrangements.

Elderly people used the ramps put up by the EC to enter the polling booths and in some of them, aged people were physically carried to the polling stations.

Due to strict regulations by the EC, no festoons, posters or banners of political parties were seen near the polling booths.

The party agents were seen sitting on the roads, with a table, 200 m away from the polling booths to issue vote slips containing details of the polling station, to the voters in their respective areas.

In R K Nagar, Tamil Nadu State Youth Congress General Secretary Biju Chacko was taken by surprise when he found a fabricated voter ID card bearing his name and photo.

When a group of people, carrying a bunch of voter ID Cards, tried to barge into a polling centre, the Congress workers tried to catch them.

Fearing an attack, they threw the bunch and fled the scene.

On perusal, Mr Biju, who was present near the booth, found to his dismay that the bunch contained a card bearing his name and photo.

UNI

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