Counting for Oct 13 Chennai Corporation poll begins tomorrow

Chennai, Oct 19 (UNI) With the Supreme Court giving the go-ahead, the stage is set for counting of votes polled in the October 13 elections to the Chennai Corporation, tomorrow.

The State Election Commission (SEC) has made elaborate security arrangements for the counting, which would begin at 1400 hrs as against 0800 hrs, as directed by the Apex Court.

The counting would take place in respect of votes polled in 143 of the 155 wards, as repoll would be held in 27 booths, covering 12 wards tomorrow.

Counting in respect of Chennai Corporation, which went to the polls along with five other Corporations, could not be taken up yesterday, following an undertaking given by the SEC before the High Court in view of a petition filed by the main opposition AIADMK.

Alleging largescale booth capturing and violence, the AIADMK moved the Madras High Court seeking to declare the elections as 'null and void' and demanded fresh elections with the deployment of Para military forces.

The Court cleared the decks yesterday and said counting of votes could be taken up tomorrow following which AIADMK moved the Apex Court.

The Supreme Court today refused to interfere with the Madras High Court interim order, directing that the counting of votes in Chennai Corporation elections should start tomorrow along with repolling in 27 out of the 155 wards.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal, Justices C K Thakker and R V Raveendran, however, directed that the counting of votes should start at 1400 hrs instead of 0800 hrs tomorrow.

Repeating its performance in the Assembly polls, the DMK-led DPA had captured five Corporations -- Tirunelveli, Tiruchirapalli, Madurai, Salem and Coimbatore -- and had won a majority of seats in municipalities in the two phase elections held on October 13 and 15.

UNI GV SAM BST1909