Polling to the Aravakuruchi, Thanjavur and Nellithope in Puducherry began on Saturday. People turned up in large numbers to exercise their franchise in all the constituencies.
Polling for the two constituencies were countermanded during the May Assembly election due to distribution of cash to the voters.
Latest updates:
Madurai: TIRUPPARANKUNDRAM: Poll percentage stands at 62.46% with male voters 61.63% and female at 63.28%
Polling percentage crosses 60.5% in Thanjavur.
Polling percentage crosses 72% at 3 p.m. in Aravakuruchi.
Polling percentage crosses 72% at 3 p.m in Nellithope.
Madurai: TIRUPPARANKUNDRAM — 1 PM Poll Percentage; Total 51.89%; Male 51.76%; Female 52.03%; Transgender (3Votes) 13.64 %
Nellithope records 60.19 per cent until 1 p.m
Our Correspondent reports, Brisk polling was reported at polling booth 290 in Virathanoor where 80 per cent of the voters had turned up by noon to cast their votes for the by-election to Tirupparankundram Assembly constituency on Saturday. Except for two voters, a handful number of polling officials and agents of candidates were inside the polling booth located in the Government high school in Virathanoor. ''Voters of the booth come from the nearby Kovasavapatti and Moothankulam villages of Virathanoor panchayat. The villages are located some six km away from here and they come in buses that are operated at particular timings,'' said one of the booth agents. For every bus from the villages, some 20 voters turned up at the booth to cast their votes. Well before 12 noon, 320 out of the 408 voters had exercised their franchise, the Presiding Officer said. And the striking feature in the booth was identical numbers of male and female voters - 204. Similarly, 160 male and 160 female voters had cast their votes...
Eighty per cent of 408 voters had cast their votes by noon in booth number 290 at Government High school in Virathanoor in Tirupparankundram Assembly constituency.
34 per cent polling by 11 am in Thanjavur
In Aravakuruchi constituency, 43 percentage of votes polled as of 11 am.
Nellithope constituency records 40 per cent polling by 11 a.m.
Madurai: TIRUPPARANKUNDRAM: 11 a.m Poll Percentage — Total : 31.99%; Male: 34.33%; Female: 29.68%
AIADMK cadres led by party nominee Om Sakthi Sekar stage a road roko at Saram in Nellithope protesting Model Code of Conduct violation by Chief Minister V Narayanasamy.
In Puducherry, the postal ballot papers would only be electronically transmitted to the record office of the service voter under two layers two layer security. This has enabled the returning officer to send the postal ballot paper to the four service voters of Nellithope Assembly constituency in shortest possible time.
Many of the villages in Tirupparankundram witnessing brisk polling. This booth in Valayangulam has recorded around 40 percent polling by 10 a.m.
In Puducherry, for the first time, the Election Commission of India has introduced electronically transmitted postal ballot paper for service voters in The by election at Assembly constituency on pilot basis.
Residents of Muslim dominated Pallapatti complains of outsiders are still in the Aravakuruchi constituency.
(A transgender Muthumari comes out of the polling booth after casting the vote in Tirupparankundram on Saturday. Photo: S. Sundar)
Nellithope has recorded a poll percentage of 23 per cent until 9. 45 a.m
15% polling in Thanjavur by 9 am
Its 14.10 % in Tiruparankundram Assembly constituency at 9 am. 16.41 % male; 11.95% female
(Voters wait in a long queue to cast their votes at a booth in Esanatham for Aravakurichi assembly constituency in Karur on Saturday. Photo: A. Muralitharan)
About 20 percent votes polled in Aravakuruchi constituency up to 9 am.
Polling is so far peaceful in Aravakuruchi, says Karur SP T.K Rajasekaran
(T. Alagammal, 71, coming out from a booth after casting her vote in the by-election of Tirupparankundram assembly constituency. Photo: R. Ashok)
Polling was stopped for half an hour at Malaikovilur in Aravakuruchi constituency due to malfunction of EVM. Polling had since resumed at the polling station.
Faulty EVMs in five booths were replaced before commencement of polling in Tiruparankundram Assembly constituency.
Polling in all 291 booths in Tirupparankundram Assembly constituency began without any delay says Madurai Collector K. Veera Raghava Rao
(AIADMK candidate Om Sakthi Sekar standing in a queue outside a booth in Nave ena Garden at Nellithope on Saturday. Photo: T. Singaravelou)
Mr Narayanasamy told reporters outside a polling booth that he would win by a huge majority.
(Senior citizen Abaranji (90), being helped by CRPF people after casting her vote at a booth at Koyavarpalayam during the by-election of Nellithope assembly constituency in Puducherry on Saturday. Photo. S.S. Kumar)
Polling continues peacefully in Thanjavur. Eight per cent polling at 8 am.
Brisk polling was also witnessed in Aravakuruchi, large turnout in many booths.
Big turnout of Muslim voters at Pallapatti in Aravakuruchi constituency, says an election official.
There are 2,68,516 voters including 1,30,146 male voters, 1,38,352 female voters while 18 voters belong to the Others category in Thanjavur. A total of 276 polling stations have been established in which polling will be held from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
M.Rengasamy, AIADMK, and Anjugam Bhoopathy, DMK, are among main contenders in Thanjavur where 14 candidates are in fray.
In Aravakuruchi, 39 candidates are in fray including former Minister V.Senthil Balaji, AIADMK and K.C.Pallani Shamy, DMK.
Brisk polling in Tiruparankundram constituency. Today being Saturday, though officials expected polling to gain momentum later in the day, long queues are already seen in most booths.
In Nellithope, all the 26 booths in Nellithope witness heavy polling. People have been standing in booths from 6 a.m to exercise their franchise.
The AIADMK candidate Om Sakthi Segar to cast vote in a booth at Naveena Garden at Nellithope around 8. 15 a.m.
Mr. Narayanasamy does not have vote in Nellithope.He is a registered voter in Raj Bhavan constituency.
