Slow moving queues mark elections in central districts

Ballot box snatched, recovered in Pudukottai district

Snatching of a sealed ballot box by an inebriated man and the slow movement of queues marked polling in the central region of the State, in the first phase of elections held to rural local bodies on Friday.

Polling in the eight districts was largely peaceful, with preliminary reports indicating robust voter turnout. A sealed ballot box, which was snatched away by a person, identified as Moorthy, from a polling station at Periya Mullipatti in Pudukottai district, was recovered swiftly by the police. “The ballot box was recovered with the seal intact,” an official said.

Complaints of slow moving queues were common, as voters had to cast four votes in separate ballot papers and deposit them in the ballot boxes. Some voters picked up quarrels with officials, demanding steps to expedite the process. “It took almost five minutes for each voter to complete the process,” observed M. Vijaya, who cast her vote at a booth set up at the Alagappa Cement Higher Secondary School at Keelayur near Thirumanur.

Polling gathered steam after about 9 a.m., and preliminary reports indicated that polling percentage could be above 70% in most districts in the region.

A section of voters of the Scheduled Caste boycotted the election in Perali village panchayat, in Perambalur district, apparently irked over the “support extended” by the dominant intermediate caste voters to a particular candidate.

Polling suspended

Polling in ward 8 in Perumathur village panchayat in Veppur union in Perambalur district was suspended after the symbol of a contesting candidate was found missing in the ballot paper in booth 69.

Officials indicated that re-polling was likely to be held at the ward.

Polling in ward 8 and 9 of Semmangudi village panchayat in the Thiruvidaimaruthur panchayat union in Thanjavur district was suspended following a mix-up of ballot papers. Elections to these wards would be held on December 30, official sources said.

An impersonator, Sathyaseelan, was arrested in Nagapattinam district for allegedly attempting to cast a bogus vote at a booth in Vadakku Poigainallur panchayat.

(Inputs from R. Krishnamoorthy, C. Jaisankar, V. Venkatasubramanian and R. Rajaram)