Condemning the violence at several booths in the local body elections, especially in Chennai, Opposition parties have demanded fresh elections.
M. Subramanian, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam candidate for the Chennai Corporation, petitioned State Election Commissioner S. Ayyar that he and his party workers saw, and verified from sources, incidents of booth capturing and bogus voting in 239 booths of 17 wards after 2 p.m. on Monday. Many AIADMK Ministers, MLAs and their kin entered polling booths along with party functionaries with the connivance of the police, he alleged. The State Election Commissioner and the City Police Commissioner avoided their phone calls.
Demanding re-poll in several booths in nine wards within the corporation limits, Mr. Subramanian wanted all records from these booths produced before the Madras High Court. In a statement, Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam president Vijayakant said that his party candidates and poll agents were attacked and gravely injured by ruling party workers in wards 35, 101 and 107. He condemned the highhandedness of the government. Asking city police to arrest the attackers, he asked the SEC, which had failed to provide adequate security, to identify the polling booths where irregularities had taken place and order re-poll.
Pattali Makkal Katchi founder S. Ramadoss sought fresh elections to the Chennai Corporation as polling in 90 per cent of the booths were not videographed. This resulted in ruling party activists controlling the polling with the help of the city police. The party would file a case in the High Court demanding fresh polls.
