231 TN MLAs vote; Jaya abstains from voting

Chennai, July 19 (UNI) All the 234 Legislators in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, except AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa and two MDMK MLAs, cast their votes in the 13th Presidential election held at the State Secretariat here, even as the Opposition AIADMK sprang a surprise by taking 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. He was followed by his Ministerial colleagues K Anbazhagan, Arcot N Veerasamy and M K Stalin.

Ms Jayalalithaa abstained from voting, while 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 participated in the democratic process coming from the Apollo Hospital, where he was admitted.

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.

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 Election Commission 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.

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