55 per cent polling in first phase marred by incidents

Chennai, Oct 13 (UNI) Incidents of booth capturing, violence and police lathicharge in the city, marred the first phase of the local body elections in Tamil Nadu today.

An estimated 55 per cent of the electorate cast their ballots in the high-profile polls which were, by and large peaceful in other parts of the state.

Polling was held to fill up 67,760 posts, a majority of them in rural areas, to elect 50,739 panchayat ward members and 6,557 panchayat presidents.

Chennai, Coimbatore, Salem, and Tirunelveli Corporations, 45 municipalities, 23 third grade municipalities and 281 town panchayats also went to the polls today.

According to reports received from districts, repoll was ordered in some of the booths after names and symbols were found missing in the ballot papers and miscreants snatched away the ballot boxes and threw them in the well.

Repoll was ordered in Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Cuddalore, Villuppuram and some other districts.

Even as police fought pitched battles in several parts of the city, the ruling DMK and the Opposition AIADMK accused each other of inciting the violence, indulging in booth capturing and rigging.

Eyewitnesses claim that some areas in North Chennai looked like a war zone as the members of the opposition parties were chased away by the police.

However, Tamil Nadu Director General of Police(DGP) D Mukherjee said barring a few minor incidents, polling passed off peacefully in the state.

Chennai City Police Commissioner Ms Letika Saran said more than 300 people, including the two AIADMK legislators V P Kalairajan and Sekar Babu, were arrested in connection with the violence in different parts of the city.

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