Repoll in 27 Chennai booths begins amid boycott

Chennai, Oct 20: Repolling in 27 polling booths spread over 12 wards in Chennai Corporation commenced at 0800 hrs today amid boycott by the opposition AIADMK-led Democratic People's Alliance.

A thick security blanket was thrown around the polling stations to prevent any untoward incident.

Counting of votes polled in the remaining 143 Corporation wards was scheduled to begin at 1400 hrs with four-tier security.

The State Election Commission had ordered the repoll after the AIADMK and other opposition parties moved the Madras High Court, seeking to declare the October 13 civic polls in the city 'null and void', alleging large scale booth capturing and violence on polling day.

Besides permitting the SEC to conduct the repoll, the High Court also cleared the decks for counting votes polled in 143 wards.

However, it said the SEC should make an endorsement in the election certificate issued to successful candidates that the declaration of results was subject to the outcome of the main writ petitions pending in court.

A special leave petition filed by the AIADMK and the MDMK against the Madras High Court's direction was dismissed by the Supreme Court, setting the stage for the repoll and counting.

Meanwhile, these parties decided to boycott repoll and counting.

AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa said democracy could not be safeguarded just by conducting repoll in 27 of the 3,295 booths in the Corporation limits.

MDMK chief Vaiko said his party had lost faith in the SEC and wondered why the poll panel did not order a repoll in the 27 booths before the High Court intervened.

UNI