Voting percentage in the first two hours was reported at less than 10% in the 10 southern districts of Tamil Nadu, where 58 Assembly constituencies went to the polls on Tuesday. Bypoll was also conducted in one Lok Sabha constituency in Kanniyakumari.
According to the data released by the district administration here at 10 a.m., Dindigul recorded 8.52 %, Theni 8.39 %, Ramanathapuram 5.50 %, Tirunelveli 3.28 %, Tenkasi 3.47 %, Kanniyakumari 1.80 %, Madurai 6.07 % and Thoothukudi 6.80 %. Data was yet to be released from Virudhunagar and Sivaganga districts.
The polling, which started at 7 a.m., began on a dull note in urban areas. Voters, including first-time and senior citizens, possessed the Electors Photo Identity Cards and the booth slips issued by the officials.
In Bodinayakkanur Assembly constituency, the poll percentage was just 3.65 % at 9 a.m., from where Deputy Chief Minister and AIADMK coordinator O. Panneerselvam is contesting.
Most voters were seen wearing masks and they were given gloves by the staff at the booths. In some polling stations, physical distancing norms were completely neglected.
The police bandobust was elaborate and there were reports of names missing in some polling stations in Madurai East Constituency.
At 3 pm
At 3 p.m., except Tirunelveli district, the polling percentage crossed the 50 % mark in the Southern Region comprising 10 districts in which 58 Assembly Constituencies and one Lok Sabha by-poll voting was underway.
Polling went on peacefully in the southern districts and there were no untoward incidents. Minor issues, according to the election control room officials were received from political parties/candidates on charges of bribing voters by their rivals.
There were complaints of EVMs not working in Natham Constituency, Dindigul district for about an hour. Officials said that the technical snag was set right and the polling commenced at the CSI Primary School (polling station number 258).
The polling was slow, but steady in the tribal locations in Theni district, wherein the voters had cast from as early as 7 a.m., officials said.
Percentage polled: Theni: 54.57. Dindigul: 55.50 Sivaganga: 56.38. Ramanathapuram: 50.35. Tirunelveli: 48.59. Thoothukudi: 52.81. Virudhunagar: 58. Tenkasi: 56.47, Kanniyakumari: 51.16, Madurai: 53.39
