Pondy polling at 50-52 per cent

Pondicherry, May 8 (UNI) An estimated 50 to 52 per cent of the 6.13 lakh electorate in Pondicherry and Karaikal regions of the union territory exercised their franchise by noon in the second and final phase of the polling to the territorial assembly.

Polling is being held in 21 constituencies in Pondicherry and six in Karaikal regions in the second and final phase today.

Though people enthusiastically thronged the polling stations right from the commencement of voting, the process was very slow due to the verification of EPIC and the photo electoral rolls with the which resulted in long queues before most of the booths.

Polling had so far been peaceful barring an incident in which Congress volunteers entered into an altercation with the volunteers of Puducherry Munnetra Congress for canvassing inside a booth at the Government Middle School in Nettapakkam constituency.

In another incident, an agent of PMC candidate K Lakshminarayanan was cautioned for using the car permitted to be used by the candidate. Police impounded the vehicle for some time and later released it.

The election will decide the fate of 199 candidates, inclduing three former Chief Ministers and PMC Founder-Leader P Kannan.

Polling in Mahe, Palloor and Yanam constituencies were held in the first phase on May three.

UNI PAB PA KP1424