50 per cent electorate cast votes in repoll

Chennai, May 10 (UNI) An average of 50 per cent of the electorate cast their votes till 1500 hrs today at 18 polling stations, where repoll was being held following the failure of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) during May eight Assembly election in Tamil Nadu.

Repoll was ordered at five booths in Tiruttani constituency,three in Palacode and one each in Anna Nagar, Sriperumbudur, Mugaiyur, Aathur, Vedachandur, Kolathur, Thiruvandanai, Paramakudi,Virudhunagar and Vasudevanallur constituencies.

In two booths in Tirutani constituency, the voters boycotted the poll, protesting against order of repoll for the simple reason that more than 80 per cent of votes were polled in the two booths on May eight.

All the 1,336 voters in Adhikathur village and 813 voters in Periyakalakapadur village stayed back, without exercising their franchise. Polling was brisk in other constituencies, reports received here said.

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Naresh Gupta said that the repolling was going on smoothly.

UNI WS SHB HT1707