Voicing apprehension over irregularities by All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam cadre in the counting of votes polled in the local body elections that concluded on Wednesday, the State unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has urged the State Election commission (SEC) to maintain strict vigil on counting centres.
In a statement, G. Ramakrishnan, State secretary of the party, alleged that the AIADMK MLA representing Palani constituency and some party workers entered a number of polling booths in Palani unauthorisedly on Wednesday even as polling was in progress. When CPI (M) cadres objected, they were assaulted.
Mr. Ramakrishnan, while urging the SEC and police to initiate action against these people, expressed fear that the ruling party activists might indulge in similar irregularities even during the counting on Friday.
He urged the SEC to prohibit the entry of ruling party workers, other than polling agents, into the counting centres.
Web cameras should be installed in the counting centres and each centre should have an observer from outside the State.
