Municipalities and town panchayats recorded better polling than the city corporations in the Western Tamil Nadu in the first phase of local body elections on Monday. Salem, Tirupur and Erode Corporations managed to cross the 65 per cent mark. The Coimbatore Corporation, which had 886 contestants for the post of councillors of 100 wards and 26 for the Mayor's post, managed only 59.29 per cent.
The polling percentage in the other corporations was: Salem 68.55, Tirupur 67.47 and Erode 71. In contrast, the municipalities, town panchayats and panchayat unions in Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode, Namakkal, Salem and Krishnagiri saw 80 to 85 per cent polling.
The Nilgiris recorded 69 per cent and figures available at 7 p.m. in Dharmapuri put it over 70. The elections were largely peaceful, with officials reporting only minor scuffle.
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