CHENNAI: With reports of violence and booth capturing during the first phase of the local body polls pouring in, the State Election Commission on Saturday ordered re-poll in 60 booths in the State. It will be held along with the second phase on Sunday.

In Chennai Corporation alone, which witnessed bloody violence and booth capturing, repoll was ordered in 17 booths, the highest in the State. It will be held along with the second phase of the elections on Sunday.

State Election Commissioner D. Chandrasekaran told The Hindu that the overall polling in the first phase was 72 per cent with rural areas recording 75.41 per cent.

The Chennai Corporation registered 55 per cent, lowest in the State. Among the districts, Pudukottai recorded the highest polling percentage (81) while Tuticorin, Tiruneleveli and Kanyakumari reported the lowest turnout of 66 per cent.

The overall percentage had considerably improved in this election compared to 64.8 per cent of 2001 elections. In the last Corporation elections also, Chennai had the dubious distinction of recording the lowest percentage of 36.11 per cent.

In the last phase, about 63,200 posts, including 56,256 posts, in rural areas are at stake.

Elections will be held to 28 district panchayats, 190 panchayat unions and 6061 village panchayats. Madurai and Tiruchi Corporations are the two corporations which go to polls on Sunday along with 280 town panchayats, 27 third grade municipalities and 57 municipalities.

The Commission has directed election officials and the police to be vigilant to ensure that violence was not repeated in the second phase.

Meanwhile, in the wake of widespread violence, the police have scaled up security arrangements for the second phase, scheduled for Sunday.

Of the total 6,162 booths, polling concluded in 3,382 booths in the first phase. For the remaining 2,780 booths, elections would be held tomorrow.

A senior officer said that 227 booths had been identified as sensitive. According to the officer, 197 mobile police teams would be deployed for bandobust and 434 striking force police personnel would be stationed at vantage points. Several preventive arrests had been made to ensure that no untoward incident occurred.

The public could cast their votes without fear, the officer said.

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