Namakkal saw brisk voting since morning and the district registered 79% polling in the elections to rural local bodies.
In the first phase, the polling was held for eight panchayat unions -- Kabilarmalai, Kolli Hills, Mallasamudram, Namagiripet, Palliapalayam, Rasipuram, Thiruchengode and Vennandur Panchayat Unions.
Officials said 53 candidates contested for nine district panchayat ward member posts, 403 candidates contested for 85 panchayat union ward member posts, 556 for 155 village panchayat president posts and 2,863 candidates contested for 994 village Panchayat ward member positions.
Officials said 85% polling was recorded at Kolli Hills, the highest among the eight Panchayat Unions. The polling in other areas was: Kabilarmalai 80%, Malasamuthiram 82 %, Namagiripettai 80 %., Pallipalayam 74% , Rasipuram 81% , Thiruchengode 78% and Vennandhur 84%.
In Namakkal, a man claiming to be Left party cadre, with a black scarf over his eyes and no shirt, tried to vote at a polling booth in Kabilarmalai, but was stopped by the police. After a heated argument, the police allowed him to vote.
Minister for Electricity P. Thangamani voted at a booth in Govindapalayam under Pallipalayam Union. In Thiruchengode, voting was stopped for about an hour at two polling booths in A. Kailasapalayam after Congress candidate for Panchayat Union ward member’s post, Jaganathan, alleged that his party symbol was not clear on the voting slips. Senior election officers visited the booth and resumed polling after promising the candidate that additional lighting would be provided at the booths.
In Rasipuram, public protested outside a polling centre in R. Soundhapuram panchayat under Venandhur panchayat union alleging that the names of few voters were missing from the voters’ list, despite their being provided with booth slips.
