Polling sluggish in urban local bodies

But 80 per cent voting was recorded in rural areas in the district

September 19, 2014 09:16 am | Updated 09:16 am IST - MADURAI:

MADURAI, TAMILNADU, 18/09/2014. : Voters waiting at the Government High School at Aanaiyur in Madurai district to cast their votes in the local body elections on September 18, 2014.-Photo:S.James

MADURAI, TAMILNADU, 18/09/2014. : Voters waiting at the Government High School at Aanaiyur in Madurai district to cast their votes in the local body elections on September 18, 2014.-Photo:S.James

Elections were held for 12 local bodies here on Thursday. Polling for electing the councillor of Ward 4 (Anaiyur) began at 7 a.m. and people cast their votes at 26 polling booths, of which seven had been declared sensitive.

Candidates from the AIADMK, Indhiya Jananayaka Katchi (IJK), CPI (M) and two independent candidates were in the fray.

At 10 a.m., only around 100 people exercised their franchise at the Government High School in Anaiyur which had six booths and an electorate of 4,389. The polling remained sluggish throughout the day and poll officials said that it might be due to the fact that it was a working day. Poor voter turnout resulted in only 33.76 per cent polling having been recorded till 5 p.m. There was tight police security and videographers appointed by the Election Commission recorded the proceedings at sensitive booths. Mobile toilets had been stationed near polling booths.

A minor disturbance caused confusion at the polling booths on the Anaiyur corporation office premises and CEOA School in Meenambalpuram after CPI (M) workers objected to the presence of too many AIADMK cadres near the booths. They entered into a war of words with a senior police official and the situation was brought under control with the intervention of the police.

Assistant Election Officer I. Ranganathan said Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) had been stored in a strongroom on the Corporation office premises.

In rural areas

Elections for five panchayat presidents and six panchayat ward members took place amid heavy security in different parts of the district. Polling was, however, brisk and officials at polling booths in Jothilnaickanur near Usilampatti and Sakkarapanaickanur in Chellampatti said 80 per cent polling was recorded by 12 noon.

“Voters started arriving from 7.30 a.m. and a steady stream of people kept coming till 1 p.m. at the booths,” said a poll official at Kovilpappakudi where polls for electing a panchayat ward member took place.

Around 20 police personnel were on duty at every sensitive booth.

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