Polling in the elections to urban local bodies in Tamil Nadu was “largely peaceful” on Saturday with an estimated 60.70 per cent of voters exercising their franchise till 3 pm.
No incidents of major poll violence were reported from anywhere in the state, while sporadic events of malfunctioning of EVMs, the verbal duel between party cadres, and allegations of party men canvassing for votes among people standing outside booths were reported from a few places.
The elections to urban local bodies are being held for the first time since 2011 and enthusiastic voters in a majority of the towns and cities turned up in large numbers, while the voting percentage in Chennai was the lowest at 43.59 per cent. Dharmapuri recorded the highest percentage at 80.49.
A polling agent belonging to the BJP was detained in Melur town in the Madurai district after he created a ruckus inside a booth raising objections to women voting with their hijab.
In Chennai, Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai alleged that the vote of Union Minister of State L Murugan was cast by “someone else.” A few hours later, Murugan exercised his franchise at the same booth with officials blaming a “clerical error.” However, Annamalai refused to accept the explanation and insisted that Murugan was allowed to vote only after BJP’s protests.
Annamalai termed the elections as a “drama” enacted by the SEC for the ruling DMK, while AIADMK demanded repolling in booths where DMK men were involved in “irregularities.”
Elections are being held to 648 urban local bodies – 21 corporations, 138 municipalities, and 489 town panchayats – to elect over 12,800 councillors. While counting of votes polled in Saturday’s election will be held on February 22, the newly elected members will choose mayors, deputy mayors, chairpersons and deputy chairpersons, and presidents and vice-presidents through indirect elections on March 4.
The State Election Commission (SEC) made elaborate arrangements for the elections by setting up 31,029 polling stations across the state with the deployment of 1.06 lakh EVM units. As many as 1.37 crore men, 1.42 crore women and 4,324 persons from the transgender community are eligible to vote in the elections.
The elections to urban local bodies are the first popularity test for the DMK, which stormed to power in May 2021 after a decade. While DMK is facing the election with its alliance intact, the AIADMK entered the fray with just a couple of allies, and BJP and PMK are contesting alone.
For the AIADMK, which has been facing a string of electoral losses, the election is very crucial with the party hoping that the “high-voltage” campaign by its top leadership comprising O Panneerselvam and Edappadi K Palaniswami help put up a “decent show.” BJP, which broke away from the AIADMK alliance, has fielded candidates in just 45 per cent of the seats and is using the election to demonstrate its individual vote bank.
Chief Minister M K Stalin, who voted in Chennai, expressed the hope that the DMK alliance will sweep the urban local body elections. “We have fulfilled the majority of the promises made during the 2021 assembly elections and we are certain that people will vote for us again after witnessing our work for nine months,” Stalin told reporters after casting his vote.
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