Jaya alleges booth capturing

Chennai, Oct 13: Alleging largescale booth capturing and violence by the ruling DMK cadre in today's polling for the Chennai Corporation, Former Chief Minister and AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa called for fresh elections in the city.

''Panic and tense situation is prevailing all over the city as DMK goondas have captured all polling booths early in the morning.

The public are being prevented from casting their votes,'' she told reporters after excersing her franchise at the Stella Maris College here.

''The DMK men have murdered the democracy in the elections and have made a farce of the whole exercise,'' she added.

She said AIADMK candidates in Chennai City were not able to be present in their respective wards and had taken refuge in the party headquarters as there was no security for their life.

An MDMK candidate in Egmore Area in the city was hacked by political rivals and admitted to hospital, she added.

Ms Jayalalithaa said when AIADMK functionaries lodged a complaint with the City Police Commissioner and Joint Commissioner, they had claimed no such incidents occurred.

The AIADMK would file a petition in Madras High Court in this regard, she said.

Ms Jayalalithaa alleged that in the 147th ward of the Corporation, the DMK men brought ballot boxes to the streets and leisurely cast their votes. She demanded that polling be stopped forthwith and declared invalid. The service of policemen from other states should be requisitioned for the conduct of fresh polls, she stressed.

Though the DMK men resorted to violence and irregularites during the campaign for the by-poll to the Madurai Central Assembly constituency, the polling was conducted peacefully after the Election Commission of India took steps on the AIADMK's complaints, she added.

However, the State Election Commission (SEC) was totally ''under the control' of the ruling DMK and acting at the behest of the DMK men, the AIADMK Supremo alleged.

Meanwhile, AIADMK Legal Advisor and Rajya Sabha MP N Jothi told reporters the party would petition the Election Commission to derecognise the DMK for indulging in violence in the ongoing polling in the first phase of the civic elections.

He said the AIADMK would also file a writ petition in Madras High Court seeking fresh polls in the city with the help of para military forces.

The party would also seek 'disqualification' of City Police Commissioner Letika Saran and Joint Commissioner Jankid for their alleged dereliction of duty, he added.

UNI