231 TN Legislators cast vote; AIADMK springs surprise

Chennai, July 19 (UNI) Scripting a twist to the 13th Presidential election, which saw all the 234 Legislators in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, except AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa and two MDMK MLAs, casting their votes, the Opposition AIADMK took part in the election process, contrary to its announced decision to abstain.

Chief Minister M Karunanidhi was the first to cast his vote when polling began at 1000 hrs at the Secretariat here. He was followed by his Ministerial colleagues K Anbazhagan, Arcot N Veerasamy and M K Stalin.

While Ms Jayalalithaa abstained from voting, former Union Minister M Kannappan and N Ramakrishnan (MDMK) could not cast their vote as they were indisposed.

However, Mr Ce V Shanmugam of the AIADMK, who was also indisposed, participated in the democratic process coming from the Apollo Hospital, where he was admitted. He was the last to cast the vote.

Besides the MLAs, Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi and Lok Sabha members S K Kaarvendhan, L Ganesan, K Rani, R Dhanushkodi Athithan and Gingee N Ramachandran also exercised their franchise here after obtaining special permission from the Election Commission.

Though industrialist and Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka M A M Ramaswamy was permitted to vote in the city, he did not turn up, apparently because the Janata Dal (Secular), which had nominated him to the Upper House, had decided to abstain from voting.

Accusing the EC of creating confusion and panic in the minds of her party MPs and MLAs, Ms Jayalalithaa, in a statement here, said that in the absence of any instructions from her, party MPs and MLAs have taken part in the election process on their own and there was no other reason for it.

Actor-politician Vijaykant, the lone member of his nascent Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), came in grease paint to cast his vote as he was engaged in a film shoot.

Later, Assembly Secretary A Selvaraj, the Assistant Returning Officer, told newspersons here that the election went off smoothly.

Of the 234 MLAs, 231 exercised their franchise and of the seven MPs who obtained permission from the EC to vote in the city, six voted.

He said the sealed ballot boxes would be taken to New Delhi tomorrow at 0640 hrs by an Indian Airlines flight and handed over to the Returning Officer of the Lok Sabha Secretariat. ''The moment we hand over the boxes, our responsibility is over,'' he said.

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