The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Tambaram records 65 per cent polling

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

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Tambaram records 65 per cent polling

K. Manikandan

Official sources said half the votes were cast in the early part of the day itself

TAMBARAM: Barring stray incidents of delay in voting due to faulty equipment and attempts to cast bogus votes, polling passed off peacefully in the Tambaram constituency. The delay was less than two hours. The 65 per cent polling recorded is much higher than 41.5 per cent recorded in the 2001 Assembly elections. Official sources said half the votes were cast in the early part of the day itself. And in some of the far-flung areas, voting started late due to faulty equipment and also due to the inability of polling officers to operate the electronic voting machines.

The problem was set right as officials had plenty of reserve voting machines in hand.

The constituency which witnessed brisk polling from 7 a.m. onwards reached its peak around noon. Some polling stations that had eight polling booths, for instance the St. Theresa Government School in Pallavaram, was brimming with voters waiting in serpentine queues.

A youth reported to be a supporter of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam was picked up by the police for allegedly attempting to cast a bogus vote at a government school in East Tambaram.

Scores of government staff were stationed at the Jaigopal Garodia National Higher Secondary School on reserve duty. As there was no exigency, the staff stole a quick nap and returned home as there was no duty left for them.

There were also complaints that the posters displaying the candidates names were only in Tamil, with some of the voters complaining about problems posed to voters who did not know Tamil.

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