Chennai: Polls for Aravakurichi, Thanjavur and bypoll for Thiruparankundram assembly seats in Tamil Nadu and Nellithope constituency in neighbouring Puducherry saw an impressive turnout of women voters, in a peaceful election held on Saturday.
According to TN chief electoral officer Rajesh Lakhoni, the public turned out in large numbers and there were no untoward incidents from any part of the constituency that witnessed brisk polling since morning. Aravakurichi in Karur district registered the highest of 82.15 per cent in Tamil Nadu.
Thiruparankundram in Madurai district, where a bypoll was necessitated due to the death AIADMK MLA, S.M. Seenivel polled 71.03 per cent votes, Thanjavur recorded 69.41 per cent voting and there may be slight changes in the polling percentage as final figures from all polling booths are being compiled, he said.
It may be noted that this is the first time that both DMK president M. Karunanidhi and AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa stayed away from the poll campaign due to hospitalisation. However, both the leaders issued statements appealing the voters to support their party candidates.
The public election department said all the constituencies saw more women voters exercising their democratic rights. “Aravakurichi has a total electorate of 2,00,347 and of this 83 per cent women voters voted and 80 percent of men voters voted, thus pushing the total poll percentage in the constituency to 82.15 percentage. Thiruparankundram also saw brisk polling in the morning with serpentine queues, but by the evening pace slipped. Thanjavur comparatively had less excitement on the day of polling with only 67 per cent of men voting in the constituency which serves as the hub of Delta region having large tracts of farmlands.
Over 5,000 personnel, including paramilitary forces, local police and armed reserve units were deployed on duty for the polling. After storing the EVMs in the strong room, the counting stations will be protected by a three-tier security system and the counting will begin on Monday by 8 am, poll officials said adding that there were no postal votes in all the three constituencies.
Nellithope bypoll largely peaceful
By-election in Nellithope constituency was largely peaceful, but for a few incidents, including a road blockade resorted to by AIADMK volunteers at Saram here on Saturday forcefully removed by the police later.
Nellithope recorded an estimated 85.76 percent voter turnout against a vote percent of 85.4 in the 2016 Assembly elections. 12561 male (83.93 per cent) and 14,344 female voters (87.37 per cent) exercised their franchise said Chief Election Officer V. Candevelou here.
Through the polling began on a moderate note, it picked up as the day progressed. CM V. Narayanaswamy who is a voter in the nearby Rajbhavan constituency went around the polling booths and expressed hope that he would be elected by a huge margin, he also thanked the EC for conducting the poll in a fair manner.
Two times MLA and AIADMK candidate Om Sakthi Sekar exercised franchise in a polling booth in Naveena Garden. He alleged that Chief Minister was trying to influence voters by visiting the polling booths.
Mr Sekar along with AIADMK leaders and party cadres staged a road roko at Saram junction, one of the busiest parts in the city seeking eviction of Congress workers from the constituency. After reasoning out with the agitators, police resorted to mild lathi charge to disperse the agitators.
Police arrested Vedagiri of Velmurugan Nagar on charges of attempting to distribute coupon worth '5,000 to voters to influence them to vote for AIADMK party. The counting will be held on November 22 in Bharatidasan government college here.
