70 per cent voters exercise franchise in TN local body polls

Chennai, Oct 15 (UNI) About 70 per cent of voters today cast their votes in second phase elections for 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, according to State Election Commissioner Mr D Chandrasekaran.

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.

Mr Chandrasekaran said that the process of holding the elections for local bodies in two phases was a great success. Five lakh polling personnel were pressed in to the poll duty and 12 crore ballot papers were used in 80,458 polling booths in all over the state, he informed.

He said the Collectors of Virudhunagar, Tirunelveli, Theni, Dharmapuri, Ramanathapuram, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Madurai and Tiruvallur had recommended repoll for 27 booths in their districts due to various reasons. The Commission would order repoll for these booths on October 16 and 17, he added.

The counting of votes will take place on October 18 and all the results were expected to be declared before the forenoon of October 19.

The elected certificates would be given to all the elected representatives by October 25, and the indirect elections for the post of local bodies heads will be held on October 28, he added.

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 on their way to create terror at the polling booths, at suburban Nanganallur, allegedly in favour of the AIADMK. Police also arrested three illegal elements and seized a car loaded with weapons at a polling booth near suburb Ambattur.

Large scale booth capturing took place in most of the wards at suburban Tiruvotriyur municipality, as 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 people, who were waiting for their turn to cast their votes.

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

To protest against the incidents, the opposition party members resorted to road roko agitations in different parts of North Chennai. However, they were pacified by the policemen and other officials.

Police fired one round in the air to disperse the unruly DMK and AIADMK mob clashing against each other with deadly weapons and soda bottles at Gingee in Villupuram District in the state, soon after the polling was over.

In this clash, a group of persons from both sides and a police inspector sustained injuries.

Police said, the trouble started when an unidentified gang an attacked a local AIADMK functionary Thanikachalam injuring him.

Based on the information, a group of AIADMK men came to the spot and were on the look- out for the gang.

Meanwhile, the DMK men numbering about 200 also assembled there and a free for all had started. Realising that the situation was going from bad to worse, police opened fire in the air and dispersed the crowd.

Mr G Subramani, who had earlier the Councillor poll twice as an Independent but way contesting under the Desiys Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) banner, was attacked by the mob. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, police said. The opposition especially, the AIADMK, MDMK, DMDK had boycotted the repoll in all the 17 booths, following the violence on October 13.

Based on the information, City Police Commissioner Letika Saran came to 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 with her.

Talking to newspersons, Ms 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 them right, she added.

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

Meanwhile the Tamil Nadu State CPI-M has strongly condemned the booth capturing and other incidents of violence during the first phase of polling for the Chennai Corporation on October 13 and wanted that fresh elections to be held for Chennai Corporation.

Terming the incidents as 'unprecedented'in the Indian history, AIADMK Supremo and former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa said the public were waiting for an opportunity to overthrow the 'autocratic' and 'fascist' Government.

Talking to newspersons here today, Ms Jayalalithaa said ''DMK goons were involved in booth capturing and bogus voting at suburban Thiruvottiyur, in the presence of City Police Commissioner Letika Saran.'' Seeking a fresh repoll in all the 155 wards of the Chennai Corporation, the AIADMK leader described Friday's happenings as a 'mere mockery of democracy.'

A report from Madurai said the polling was peaceful barring stray incidents. An estimated 65 per cent polling was registered in the districts, official sources said. Road blockades were resorted to in certain areas of the city corporation, demanding police and poll officials to prevent electoral malpractices reportedly indulged in by DMK functionaries and workers.

An AIADMK candidate for ward councillor, Raja Srinivasan was arrested on the charge of disrupting polling at Muthupatti. However, in a complaint to the police, he had alleged that he was assaulted and forcibly taken away in a vehicle by DMK workers, led by Misa Pandian, who also attempted to rig polling in a booth.

AIADMK Madurai urban district secretary V V Rajan Chellappa has demanded repoll in 15 wards, under the protection of central forces, alleging that the DMK functionaries with the connivance of the police had occupied the booths and prevented the voters from casting their votes.

Among the village panchayats that went to the poll were the four reserved village panchayats, namely, Pappapatti, Keeripatti, Nattarmangalam in the district and Kottakachiyendal in Viridhunagar district, which have earned notoriety by remaining headless either due to electoral boycotts or resignation of elected candidates, ensured by the dominant castes demanding de-reservation.

In Keeripatti and Kottakachiyendal candidates have been declared elected unopposed to the office of village panchayat president after the scrutiny.

A report from Kancheepuram said 65 per cent of polling was recorded in the second phase of the elections to the local bodies elections held in this district, according to District Collector Pradeep Yadav. Mr Yadav said polling was peaceful bearing a few stray incidents.

Police said a PMK party member Vasu and his friend were arrested when a group of four men threatened the voters with a knife and attempted to indulge in booth capturing near Chengalpattu.

Efforts were on to trace the remaining two accused Siva and Elango, police added.

UNI