Villupuram district on Tuesday registered 78.49% turnout in the Assembly election on Tuesday.
Cuddalore district registered 76.6% polling, while Kallakurichi district recorded 78%.
Polling in all the seven Assembly constituencies in Villupuram district was largely peaceful. Brisk polling was witnessed and long queues were seen in front of booths in Tindivanam, Villupuram and Mailam.
Polling peaceful
According to official sources, the district recorded 7.41% of polling by 9 a.m. The polling percentage rose to 22.99 by 11 a.m. and 56.4 by 3 p.m.
Polling was largely peaceful, barring isolated incidents. At Pidagam near Villupuram, a scuffle broke out between DMK and AIAMDK workers over the alleged canvassing of votes near a booth.
Personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) chased away the workers and brought the situation under control.
Malfunctioning of EVMs was reported from a few booths. But overall, voting progressed at a brisk pace in all the seven constituencies.
Initially, COVID-19 protocols were adhered to and officials marked circles outside the booths to ensure physical distancing.
Voters had their hands sanitised and were screened with thermal scanners outside the booths.
However, a few hours into polling, people began to crowd the booths and little effort was made to regulate them.
Ramadoss upbeat
In the first hour of polling, PMK founder S. Ramadoss cast his vote at a booth at Sri Maragadhambigai High School in Tindivanam.
Speaking to reporters, Dr. Ramadoss claimed that people were happy with the performance of the AIADMK government and said good governance should continue in the State.
‘Imposition of opinion’
About opinion polls predicting a landslide for the DMK-led front, he said people attached little value to the opinion polls. “They are not opinion polls but only a compulsory imposition of opinion,” he said.
PMK youth wing leader Anbumani Ramadoss and Law Minister C.Ve. Shanmugam cast their votes in Tindivanam and Avvaiyarpuram respectively.
DMK heavyweight and former Minister K. Ponmudi cast his vote in Villupuram.
