CHENNAI : With 33 candidates of the DMK-led combine elected unopposed, the alliance holds a majority in the Council with more than 80 seats out of 155 already.

The only sizable opposition is from the DMDK, which is fielding 62 candidates with the lamp (deepam) symbol for the upcoming repoll on February 18.

The BJP is fielding 34 candidates, the CPM 8 and the Dalit Panthers of India 2. More than 150 independents are also in the fray.

The DMK-led combine would be fielding 65 candidates,with 36 from the DMK with the rising sun symbol, 19 from the Congress with the hand symbol and 10 from the PMK with the mango symbol.

Ballot papers were printed on Friday for the upcoming repoll in 66 wards with more than 1,500 booths. Training also commenced for about 7,000 officials expected to be part of the electoral process.

The process of updating the photo electoral rolls that began last July for the city will cover Royapuram and Harbour constituencies between Friday and Sunday. Seventy-five cameras each are being used for the door-to-door photographs of voters in the two constituencies. The rolls are common for elections to the Legislative Assembly and Corporation Council, said officials.

More than 28 per cent of Chennai's electorate is yet to be covered in the exercise, they added.

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