Pondy records 82.5 per cent polling

Pondicherry, May 8: An estimated 82.5 per cent of the 6.13 lakh voters exercised their franchise in the second and final phase of elections to the terroitorial assembly today.

Twenty one constituencies in Pondicherry and six in Karaikal region of the union territory of Pondicherry went to polls.

Addressing a press conference here, Chief Electoral Officer Mr Kumarasamy said the per centage could be one per cent more as data was coming in from some more constituencies.

He said there was ten per cent increase in polling in Pondicherry and Karaikal regions which went to polls in the second phase, compared to the last two elections. He attributed this to voters awareness, revision of electoral rolls and campaigning by political parties besides strict enforecement of the model code of conduct.

Mr Kumarasamy said polling was by and large peaceful and no incidents of violence were reported from any region. Complaints of canvassing inside the booths were taken care of by the sector magistrates.

Giving the region wise break up, Mr Kumarasamy said the Pondicherry region registered a poll percentage of 84.08,Karaiakl 81.6,Mahe 78.98 and Yanam 96.44. While two constituencies registered the highest polling of more than 90 per cent,the minimum polling recorded was 76 percent, He said there was no failure of the electronic voting Machines except one each in Karaikal and Kottucherry constituencies in Karaikal region of the territory.

For the first time braille sinage EVMs were provided at Lawspet and Kottucherry constituencies for the benifit of the blind voters,he said.

Thanking the voters and political party leaders for peaceful conduct of polling,he appealed to them to adopt the same stand in the counting too.

UNI