Kanniyakumari district witnessed peaceful polling as election was held for six Assembly segments and by-election to the Kanniyakumari Lok Sabha seat on Tuesday.
With high literacy rate, it registered a poll percentage of 68.41.
Technical snags hit the polling in several booths in all the six segments. When the EVMs in two booths at Panchayat Union Primary School at Kaalaishandhai developed a snag, technical staff rushed to the spot to rectify the issues and polling commenced at 7.45 a.m. in this booth. As voters were not given sanitizer and glove at Emily Memorial Nursery School at Kanchirapuram near Siraayankuzhi, officials came to the spot to censure the personnel there.
When the battery in the EVM in the booth at Government High School in Kulasekaram got drained immediately after the polling started, the officials replaced it with a fresh EVM. Similarly, EVM snag led to fixing of new machines in booths at Aattur and Villunnikonam under Padmanabhapuram constituency.
When the EVM meant for the Kanniyakumari Lok Sabha by-poll at Panchayat Union Primary School at Chunkaankadai near here did not emit the mandatory sound after the votes were polled, the electorate raised objections. The situation turned ugly as a section of them complained that all the votes being polled without any sound were getting cast in favour of ‘Lotus,’ the BJP’s symbol, even though the voters’ choice was some other candidate.
Even as the polling personnel were struggling to pacify the agitated voters, reporters attached to various newspapers and electronic media rushed to the booth only to be stopped by the police even though they were carrying the passes issued by the Election Commission of India. The situation turned worse after Inspector of Police Jayaprakash warned reporters that he would arrest them if they preferred to enter the booth.
With heated argument going on between the reporters and the police officer, one of the journalists explained with Superintendent of Police V. Badrinarayanan about the problem over the phone and he replaced the Inspector with another officer within next 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, the technical glitch was rectified and smooth polling resumed.
Collector M. Aravind, who cast his vote at St. Antony’s Primary School at Kurusadi along with his wife, said polling was progressing well in the district in peaceful manner even as the over 4,500 personnel had deployed across the district as part of the security arrangements. Technical issues in the EVMs had been attended within the shortest possible time so as to ensure unhindered polling.
While micro observers were posted in 288 critical polling stations, webcasting of polling was done in 1,271 polling booths, he said.
As the voters had to cast two votes to elect their MLA and the MP, the polling process took a bit more time for every voter.
As the police received information about the smuggling of huge quantity of liquor bottles to be distributed to the voters of Poothurai and Kaarunyapuram areas near Niththiravilai, the police intercepted a vehicle at Niththaravilai. However, the occupants of the cargo vehicle managed to escape.
Upon checking the ice box in the vehicle, the police recovered 1,557 liquor bottles, each 180 ml.
Similarly, 493 liquor bottles were seized near Kurumbanai.
Police constable Sreeja of Marthandam Police Station, who had been posted at Government Rubber Corporation Middle School in Keeripaarai under Kanniyakumari Assembly constituency suffered snake bike even as she was on duty on Monday night. She had been undergoing treatment in Government Medical College Hospital at Aasaaripallam.
