“For many, the booths have changed since the Assembly elections. This should have been communicated properly to them”M.K. MohanAnna Nagar MLA
CHENNAI
The polling in the central parts of the city encompassing Teynampet, Kodambakkam, Anna Nagar, Ambattur and Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, was largely incident-free during the Greater Chennai Corporation election.
While the turnout was poor in most places, a key issue faced by many voters was the change in their polling booths and the failure of the Corporation to issue booth slips.
GCC officials had asked voters, who were uncertain about their polling booths, to make use of the online portal available in Tamil Nadu State Election Commission’s website. However, many alleged that the information in the website was incorrect.
M.C. Palani, a candidate from Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), contesting in Ward 84 in Ambattur zone, said that he himself tried to help a few voters through the portal. “But the part numbers and serial numbers found in the portal did not match with the electoral roll supplied to the polling officials,” he said.
Since she turned 18, S. Kathiyayini, a college student, never missed a chance to vote. “I voted in the general elections in 2019 and the Assembly elections in 2021. Ahead of the elections, I post on social media platforms, asking my friends to check their polling booths and highlighting the importance of voting,” she said.
She, however, had a difficult time exercising her right to vote on Saturday as she was sent back and forth twice between two polling locations in Anna Nagar before officials found her polling booth.
V.K. Raman, a district-level functionary of the BJP, who was monitoring the polling on behalf of his party at a booth in Ward 95 in Anna Nagar zone, said the ward delimitation exercise had caused confusion with the polling booths. “I myself faced trouble in finding my polling booth,” he said and added that the GCC failed to issue booth slips to most people.
M.K. Mohan, DML MLA from Anna Nagar, who visited the booths in his constituency, said that confusion over polling booth was indeed a problem, which turned out to be a contributing factor for the low voter turnout. “For many, the booths have changed since the Assembly elections. This should have been communicated properly to them,” he said.
Expressing disappointment over the poor turnout, he said the turnout in low income neighbourhoods was much better than those in middle and high income neighbourhoods.
Mr. Palani said he had never seen such a poor turnout in the elections. “I have a feeling that the turnout of elderly was particularly poor this time due to COVID-19 fear,” he said.
The turnout among the transgender community, who constituted a small percentage of total voters, was relatively high. A group of transwomen voted at the polling booth in Namachivayapuram in Choolaimedu.
R. Neha, one of them, said that she wanted the GCC to take steps to ensure affordable housing within the city for the trans community as it faced difficulty getting rental accommodation due to the stigma people associated with them.
Karu. Nagarajan, general secretary, BJP, alleged that the DMK committed poll malpractice. He said the DMK distributed booth slips to voters when parties were specifically asked not to do so.
