Nearly 40 per cent turnout as 'smooth' polling underway in TN

(Eds: Recasts, adds details)
Chennai, Apr 6 (PTI) Voter turnout was nearly 40 per
cent in Tamil Nadu till 1 pm as polling continued peacefully
in a brisk pace across the state with key leaders including
AIADMK's K Palaniswami, O Panneerselvam and DMK chief
M K Stalin exercising their franchise on Tuesday.
"Till 1 pm, the polling was 39.61 per cent and the
highest was Virudhunagar district with 41.79 per cent and
lowest was Tirunelveli with 32.29 per cent," Chief Electoral
Officer Satyabrata Sahoo told reporters adding there were no
major law and order issues anywhere and polling was on
'smoothly.'
Asked about an allegation that at a polling station in
Virudhunagar, whichever candidate people chose on the EVM, it
displayed only a particular symbol, he said there were no such
reports.
Only the symbol that was chosen gets recorded in the
EVM and the same was corroborated in the Voter Verifiable
Paper Audit Trail units, he said.
On claims that one or two poll officials died during
duty, he said there were no such reports.
Asked on the number of EVMs that encountered faults, he
said it is 'very few' and all were rectified and nowhere polls
were stopped due to such matters.
Celebrities like Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan were among
the early voters and top actor Vijay rode a bicycle to the
polling booth leading to speculation by social media users who
asked if it was a subtle 'sign' of opposition to rise in fuel
prices.
His publicist clarified that the star did so in view of
car parking problems in the small street where the polling
booth was located.
Sahoo said free and fair polls were on adding observers
and zonal parties were monitoring the polling exercise and in
case of any 'problem' they would immediately take action.
Even before polling began at 7 am, people could be seen
eagerly queuing up before the polling stations and voter
information slips were distributed to the people to help them
identify their booths.
As soon as people arrived in polling stations, they were
provided hand sanitisers to clean their hands and then given a
disposable glove. Some people who arrived without masks were
asked to wear one to be allowed to vote.
People who had tested positive for coronavirus have been
allowed to vote during the last hour of polling (6pm to 7 pm)
and they would be provied with PPE kits, officials said.
Chief Minister Palaniswami accompanied by his grandson,
cast his vote at Siluvampalayam in his native Salem district
and urged all people to cast vote.
"I request (all) to perform our democratic duty," he
told reporters.
Speaker P Dhanapal voted in Salem, Panneerselvam in
Theni district and Ministers including SP Velumani and Sellur
K Raju in Coimbatore and Madurai, respectively.
DMK president Stalin, after paying homage at the
mausoleum of his party patriarch M Karunanidhi and party
founder CN Annadurai cast his vote here.
Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Haasan, who is trying
his luck for the first time in Assembly polls, cast his vote
here before heading to Coimbatore from where he is contesting
polls.
After visiting a poll booth in Coimbatore, Haasan
alleged money distribiution was happening outside and that
tokens were also being given to be redeemed for articles later
and hinted that he may file a complaint on the matter.
DMK candidate for Thondamuthur assembly segment,
Karthikeya Shivesenapathy lodged a complaint alleging that he
was threatened by some AIADMK workers, when he was proceeding
to a polling station.
Congress leader P Chidambaram, DMDK leader Premalatha
Vijayakanth, Naam Tamilar Katchi leader Seeman, PMK MP
Anbumani Ramadoss, a slew of actors including Surya, Karthi
and Sivakarthikeyan were among those who voted today.
Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan and state BJP
Chief L Murugan also cast their votes in the city.
The state has 88,937 polling stations, 1,29,165
ballot units, 91,180 control units (which comprise the
Electronic Voting Machine) and an equal number of VVPAT
(Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) units.
As many as 4,17,521 polling personnel are on duty and
over 1.50 lakh security personnel including those from state
police, Central Armed Police Force, and home guards have been
deployed.
There are 10,813 vulnerable polling stations and 537
critical and webcasting is being done from '50 per cent' of
the polling stations. PTI VGN SA
ROH ROH

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)