Polling begins in Vellore Lok Sabha constituency amid tight security

Chennai, Aug 05: Polling in Vellore Lok Sabha constituency, which was countermanded due to excess use of money power is underway amid tight security.

The fate of 28 candidates will be decided today. But the key contest is between the regional arch rivals DMK's DM Kathir Anand and AC Shanmugam of the Puthiya Needhi Katchi, part of the AIADMK alliance.

DMK had swept the general elections in alliance with Congress winning 37 out of the 38 parliamentary seats which went to polls in May.

Polling for Vellore Lok Sabha seat was scheduled for April 18, along with the other constituencies of Tamil Nadu, but was cancelled on April 16 following the recovery of a huge amount of cash allegedly from an associate of a DMK leader.

This was perhaps the first time that the election to a Lok Sabha constituency was cancelled over use of money power. The bypoll to the RK Nagar Assembly seat in Tamil Nadu was cancelled in April, 2017 following a similar seizure of huge amount of cash allegedly meant for bribing voters.

Once the results are announced, the Lok Sabha will have its full strength of 543 elected members. There is a provision to nominate two members from the Anglo-Indian community.