With the announcement of schedule for local body elections having been made on Wednesday night, the model code of conduct has come into force with immediate effect.
On first day of filing of nomination on Thursday, 25 nominations were received in Virudhunagar district. One nomination for the post of Tiruthangal municipal chairperson, 22 papers for village panchayat ward members and two for village panchayat presidents were received.
In the first phase of polls to be held on October 17, voters of municipalities of Aruppukottai, Sivakasi, Tiruthangal and Virudhunagar will exercise their franchise. Election will be held on the same day in the town panchayats of Kariapatti and Mallankinaru and the panchayat unions of Aruppukottai, Kariapatti, Narikudi, Sivakasi, Tiruthangal and Virudhunagar.
Second phase
The local bodies that will go to polls in the second phase of October 19 are: Municipalities of Rajapalayam, Sattur and Srivilliputtur and the town panchayats of Chettiyarpatti, Mamsapuram, S. Kodikulam, Seithur, Sundarapandiyapuram, W. Pudupatti and Watrap.
Election in the panchayat unions of Rajapalayam, Sattur, Srivilliputtur, Vembakottai and Watrap would also be held the same day.
Poll-related works in the district have also began.
The Collector inspected the verification of 1,200 electronic voting machines kept at the Virudhunagar municipal office. These EVMs will be used for the seven municipalities and nine town panchayats. Engineers and technicians from Bharat Electronics Limited carried out the verification works.
The Collector also discussed with officials of Srivilliputtur Panchayat union office on displaying the schedule of election and filing of nominations. He also inspected W. Pudupatti.