The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Madurai News : All set for polling

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 10, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Madurai

All set for polling

By Our Staff Reporter

MADURAI, MAY 9 . The electoral fortunes of 15 candidates in the Madurai constituency will be decided by 13,42,587 voters tomorrow. The district administration has completed all arrangements to ensure a `free and fair' polling.

Besides Dr. Subramanian Swamy of the Janata Party, P. Mohan of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), A. K. Bose of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, P. Sakthivel of the Janata Dal (United) and S. Radhakrishnan of the Bahujan Samaj Party, 10 Independents are in the fray.

The administration sent 2,688 Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to 1,240 polling stations in the constituency.

The Collector, B. Chandra Mohan, supervised the dispatch of the EVMs and other materials. He also inspected a few polling stations and verified whether the poll materials reached there.

The constituency comprises the Tirupparankunram, Madurai West, Madurai Central, Madurai East, Samayanallur and Melur Assembly segments. Votes will be counted at the Madurai Medical College on May 13, and arrangements have been made for dispatching the EVMs to the counting centre immediately after the polling. The postal ballots will be taken up for counting at the Dean's Chamber, Madurai Medical College, where the results will be declared. The postal ballots have been sent to 4,383 service personnel, including 1,267 women. Nearly 5,456 personnel have been drafted for election duty.

Earlier, the Collector conducted a meeting of the zonal officials and the police, and briefed them about the measures to be taken for the smooth conduct of the polling.

The polling will begin at 7 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. The political parties have been directed not to campaign within 100 metres of the booths, and no candidate or political parties should set up their offices within 200 metres. Meanwhile, the administration has set up an election complaint cell at the Collectorate (telephone: 5532711).

Vote without fear: Collector

Dr. Chandra Mohan has appealed to the people to exercise their franchise without fear.

In a statement here, he said the voters should cast their votes through the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). They should press the blue button facing the symbol of their choice once. Those who did not have the voter identity cards could vote by producing one of the following documents: passports, driving licences, Permanent Account Number card, identity cards, patta pass books, family ration cards issued before March 2004, railway identity cards, gun licences and physically handicap certificates issued before March 2004.

Autorickshaws seized

The city police seized five autorickshaws hired by three political parties for campaigning after the deadline passed on Saturday. The vehicles used by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) for distributing leaflets were spotted by patrolling vehicles.

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