The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : 60 per cent in Villivakkam

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

60 per cent in Villivakkam

J. Malarvizhi

A few electronic voting machines posed problems to officials

CHENNAI: In Villivakkam, the State's biggest constituency, over 60 per cent of voters cast their vote on Monday in an incident-free election.

High police presence and strict enforcement of electoral regulations ensured that polling was smooth in more than 1000 booths across India's largest Assembly constituency.

Kalan of AIADMK front and B. Ranganathan of the DMK are the favourites from this constituency.

Electoral Observer Sanjaykumar Srivatsava, examining the Padikuppam Government High School polling station at noon, said apart from a few instances of malfunctioning of Electronic Voting Machines, there were no complaints.

Voter turnout had crossed forty per cent by then, he said.

Highest number of booths

The Korattur Municipal School on Chavadi Street, with 17 booths, had the highest number of booths at a single polling station in the constituency.

With voters trickling into booths from seven in the morning to avoid the heat, booths wore a deserted look by the afternoon.

The police personnel on duty, though, were convinced that this election was a record of sorts. C. Sivaraman, constable, at the Our Angel MHSS polling station, Valsarawakkam, said that he had "never seen an election like this in his service."

A sub-inspector of police at the Veerapuram polling booth near Avadi said he had observed high turnout in the 19 booths under his supervision from Bommachikulam to Veerapuram.

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