Apart from complaints of malfunctioning EVMs and a village in Gummidipoondi boycotting the elections, poll day was largely uneventful in the Tiruvallur Lok Sabha constituency, which registered over 70% polling as of 7 p.m.
Unmindful of the sweltering heat, voters thronged the polling booths in Gummidipoondi, Ponneri, Thiruvallur, Poonamalee, Avadi and Madhavaram. There was heavy rush in most booths in the morning. The numbers dwindled as the heat intensified in the noon and again spiked in the evening.
Villagers boycott polls
However, things were not smooth in Nagaraja Kandigai in Gummidpoondi since morning. Over 500 residents of the village boycotted the elections, protesting against a polluting sponge iron factory in their village. The road leading to the hamlet was dotted with black flags and the polling booth wore a deserted look, except for a few officials and a lone woman police constable.
“Many are suffering from breathing problems. Though the unit was closed a few years ago, it was reopened recently,” said Karthik, a resident of the village. Peace meetings were held a few times and two months ago, residents even surrendered their ration cards in protest against government inaction.
Similarly, in Satheri village in Kadambathur, nearly 200 voters from Ambedkar Nagar did not cast their vote till 3.30 p.m. “We have not had power supply, water connection or proper houses for years. We came to vote after revenue officials promised to solve our problems,” said a resident.
