MADURAI
Officials began transporting materials, including indelible ink, ballot boxes and ballot paper, for the last phase of the rural local body polls in seven panchayat unions of Madurai district on Sunday.
The elections which will be held in Usilampatti, Chellampatti, Sedapatti, Tirumangalam, T. Kallupatti, Kallikudi and Tirupparankundram unions will find around 5,71,072 voters casting their votes in 1,093 polling stations.
A total of 220 polling stations in these panchayat unions have been adjudged vulnerable and sensitive and will be monitored through a web camera, a video camera and by a micro observer. To ensure that polling goes on smoothly, a total of 8,918 polling officers have been appointed.
A section of contestants and citizens from Kottampatti union petitioned Collector T. G. Vinay, seeking webcasting of the counting process for Kottampatti and Melur unions as they said they suspected foul play.
S. Azarudeen, a resident of Sekkipatti, whose father is contesting in the polls, said that contestants from political parties had attempted to bribe them with money, asking the members not to contest in the polls.
“In spite of the pressure and the threats, we campaigned and went on to contest. However, we are concerned that the contestants from these parties will try to rig the elections. Hence, all counting officials from Kottampatti and Melur must not be involved in the counting process,” he said.
He added that representatives of independent candidates must also be allowed into counting centres so as to keep a close eye on the proceedings.
