CM Edappadi K Palaniswami leads star voters in west, Namakkal polls highest

Salem: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Edappadi K Palaniswami led the star voters in the western belt as polling commenced for the Lok Sabha election on Thursday. There was no untoward incidents in the key western constituencies of Salem, Erode and Namakkal, with the total voter turnout registered being 77.39 per cent, 72.68 per cent and 79.98 per cent respectively. Namakkal saw maximum turnout.

Mr. Palaniswami, also the co-coordinator of the AIADMK, stood with other commoners in the queue at his native Edappadi near here, where he voted in a booth in a panchayat union elementary school at Siluvampalayam. At 7-30 am, he walked from his house nearby to the polling station, taking everyone by surprise.

Similarly, TN Assembly Speaker, Mr. P. Dhanapal, also hailing from erstwhile composite Salem district, exercised his franchise in a polling booth at Tathagapatti near here. Other notable voters included the district collector, Dr Rohini Bhajubhakare and Salem municipal commissioner Satheesh, among others. Another important personality and veteran public figure who did not fail to cast his vote despite his advanced age was the 99-yer-old T N Kaliyannan Goundar, at the Ouvai school booth in Tiruchengode. He is one of the few living members of the Constituent Assembly that drafted Indian Constitution.

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