49 per cent voters exercise franchise in TN local body polls

Chennai, Oct 13 (UNI) About 49 per cent of voters had exercised their franchise till noon in the second phase of elections to local bodies in Tamil Nadu to elect 63,202 representatives from Tiruchirapalli and Madurai Corporations, 57 municipalities, 27 Grade three municipalities, 280 town panchayats and 190 village panchayats in the State under a thick blanket of security.

The polling was by and large peaceful, barring a few minor incidents, official sources told UNI.

Polling went on peacefully in all the 17 booths where repoll was ordered, following the violence incidents that took place during the first phase of poll for the Chennai City Corporation on October 13.

Police had arrested 16 anti-social elements and impounded a van and a car, in which they were travelling with five petrol bombs near Guindy. Enquiries revealed that they were the hired goondas and were on their way to create terror at the polling booths, at suburban Nanganallur, allegedly in favour of the AIADMK.

Large scale booth capturing incidents took place in most of the wards at suburban Tiruvotriyur municipality. One K P P Sankar, brother of state Fisheries Minister K P P Samy, accompanied by his partymen in four cars, allegedly captured the booths and chased away the people, who were waiting for their turn to cast their votes in ward numbers 7, 11,17,23 and 31.

Mr K P P Chockalingam, another brother of Mr Samy, was seeking election from ward number seven.

Following this, all the opposition candidates including the AIADMK, boycotted the poll proceedings, according to eye witnesses.

At Ward Number 23, Mr G Subramani, who had earlier won the Councillor poll twice as an Independent and was contesting under the Desiys Murpokku Dravida kazhagam (DMDK) banner, was attacked by the mob. Mr Subramani was rushed to a nearby hospital, police said. Based on the information, City Police Commissioner Letika Saran reached the spot and attempted to pacify the agitating opposition party cadres as well as the general public, which gheraoed her, with an assurance that she would give protection to those who wanted to cast their votes.

Though the Police Commissioner, stayed in the troubled areas for about two hours, no one came forward to cast their votes or to lodge a complaint.

Talking to visiting newspersons, Ms Letika Saran said police had not received any complaint and they have nothing to do with the affairs inside the polling booths. It is for the revenue officials to set right the booths, marred by violence and booth capturing, she added.

She assured that adequate protection would be given to the voters to exercise their votes.

A report from Madurai said polling was by and large peaceful, barring stray incidents of violence and attempts at booth capturing in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu. In the city, AIADMK candidate for the 65th ward, Srinivasan, was arrested on the charge of indulging in violence at a polling booth.

However, in his complaint, the candidate had alleged that he was assaulted by DMK men, led by Misa Pandian, who had resorted to booth capturing in Muthupatti area. Mr Srinivasan had also charged them with forcibly removing him from the venue in a vehicle and dropping him at a far off place.

AIADMK workers resorted to road blockades at a few places, demanding stern action to prevent electoral malpractices, allegedly indulged in by the DMK.

Police detained around 50 AIADMK workers when they resorted to a road blockade in front of the South Gate police station and restored normalcy.

UNI CR VA HT1657