TAMBARAM: Police lathicharged a section of partymen belonging to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam when they attempted to cross the restricted area near a polling station, where byelection to the post of Perumbakkam panchayat president was held on Wednesday.
Byelections were also held for the post of a ward member in Pozhichalur village panchayat and two ward members in Injambakkam panchayat on Wednesday. While voting went off peacefully in Pozhichalur and Injambakkam, tension prevailed in Perumbakkam.
More than 200 policemen were deployed in these two centres. Around noon, a group of members belonging to the DMK alleged that independent candidates who had the support of AIADMK were bribing voters who were on their way to the centre at Bharathi Vidyalaya.
The DMK men advanced towards the voting centre, only to be pushed back by policemen. Voting continued peacefully, and an hour later, dozens of DMK partymen, including chairmen, vice-chairmen and councillors of urban and rural local bodies from different parts of Tambaram taluk and some parts of Kancheepuram district gathered a little ahead of the school. Some time later, some of the senior leaders at the district-level unit of the party left the spot, but many cadres of DMK stayed on. Protesting alleged police high-handedness, they blocked the road and raised slogans against the policemen.
Even after senior police officials appealed to them, they did not leave the spot. Following this, lathi-wielding policemen dispersed the DMK partymen.
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