The percentage of polling in the first phase of the ordinary elections for the rural local bodies held in nine districts of Tamil Nadu on Wednesday was 74.37, officials of the Tamil Nadu State Election Commission (TNSEC) said.
Violence was reported in some parts, while there was a case of poll boycott demanding the removal of the reservation of a seat for Scheduled Caste candidates. Otherwise, polling was peaceful.
Two hours after voting commenced at 7 a.m., the polling percentage stood at 7.72 but it gathered pace to reach 19.61 by 11 a.m. It improved further to 33.78 by 1 p.m. and 52.4 by 3 p.m.
The approximate polling percentage was Villupuram (81.36), Ranipet (81), Kancheepuram (80), Tirupattur (78), Tenkasi (74), Kallakurichi (72), Tirunelveli (69), and Chengalpattu and Vellore (67 each). The figures may vary depending on the final inputs from the polling booths.
Road blocked
Violence broke out at Kazhuneerkulam, near Alangulam, following a rumour that bogus votes were being cast in favour of a candidate belonging to a particular caste. Supporters of another candidate from Kazhuneerkulam went to Therkku Kazhuneerketulam and assaulted Esakkimuthu, 45. He was rushed to the Tenkasi Government Hospital. The other group blocked traffic on the Alangulam-Surandai Road, demanding the arrest of the assailants.
The agitation was withdrawn after the police assured the protesters of stern and impartial action. In a similar incident at Naranapuram in the same district, the husband of a candidate for the post of the Naranapuram panchayat president was attacked.
He escaped with bruises, though his car was stoned. When a clash between the villagers of Naranapuram and neighbouring Marudhappapuram erupted at night, the Naranapuram villagers abducted 3 Marudhappapuram residents. In retaliation, Marudhappapuram villagers held 6 Naranapuram residents hostage. After a senior official held talks with the villagers, the hostages were released.
Residents in the Katpadi panchayat union in Vellore boycotted the elections opposing the reservation of the Ammundi village panchayat for the Scheduled Caste candidates. They wanted to re-notify the village panchayat as a general local body claiming that a majority in the village were not Dalits and Scheduled Tribes. Vellore Collector and District Election Officer P. Kumaravel Pandian tried to persuade the residents to cast their votes but in vain.
During the second phase of the ordinary elections in nine districts and casual elections in 28 districts scheduled for October 9, over 16,000 police personnel and more than 2,800 Home Guards would be deployed for duty. Polling in the second phase is for filling more than 10,000 posts.
As many as 23,998 posts will be filled through the two-phase ordinary elections. A total of 79,433 candidates were in the fray in Chengalpattu, Kallakurichi, Kancheepuram, Ranipet, Tenkasi, Tirunelveli, Tirupattur, Vellore and Villupuram districts.
Though ordinary elections were initially notified by the TNSEC to fill 27,003 vacancies in nine districts, 2,981 persons were elected unopposed and there were no contestants for two posts of village panchayat president and 21 village panchayat ward members.
As for the casual elections scheduled in 28 districts for October 9, 789 vacancies were initially notified but candidates for 365 posts were elected unopposed. There were no contestants for two posts of village panchayat president and four village panchayat ward members. A total of 1,386 candidates are in the fray for the remaining 418 posts.
