Chennai: Chennai corporation on Saturday has transferred electronic voting machines (EVMs) required for the R.K. Nagar Assembly bypoll. About 1,100 ballot units and 300 control units stationed at the Velachery community centre were transferred to a corporation godown in north Chennai, corporation sources said. The required EVMs after primary and secondary verifications will be moved to the constituency’s strong room a day before polling.
The primary inspection of the machines and the control units will be taken up on June 13 and, subsequently, training for polling staff with EVMs will be conducted during the middle of the month, the sources said. On Saturday, Independent candidates continued filing their nominations with the R.K. Nagar returning officer Sowrirajan. On the fourth day for filing of nominations, mostly Independents, including social activist S.K. Sasiperumal, J. Jayakumar, M. Subash Babu, P. Esakkimuthu, T.S. Dhananjayan, U.K. Manimaran of Tamil Maanila Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, and advocate R.C. Paul Kanagaraj of Tamil Maanila Katchi, filed their nominations.
So far, 22 candidates, including Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa and civic activist ‘Traffic’ Ramaswamy, have filed their nominations for the bypoll. Earlier in the day, district election officer and Chennai corporation commissioner Vikram Kapur convened a meeting for the surveillance team at the Ripon Buildings to discuss the surveillance activities during the bypoll. Additional election officer T.G. Vinay and north regional deputy commissioner M. Lakshmi attended the meeting.
At R.K. Nagar, the AIADMK ministers very seen criss-crossing the labour-dominated constituency seeking votes for their party leader often bumping into an MLA or another minister. It may be noted that the ruling AIADMK has deployed 50 party heavyweights for campaign work.
