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Over 30 pc polling in 4 assembly constituencies till 11 AM

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Press Trust of India Chennai

Brisk voting was reported in the four Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu Sunday, with over 30 per cent of the electorate casting their votes in all four segments till 11 AM in the by-polls.

Election Commission officials said polling was peaceful and smooth, despite early EVM glitches in some areas, even as the ruling AIADMK filed complaints against DMK, including charging one of the opposition party candidates with "wronful restraint" of voters in Aravakurichi.

Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Satyabrata Sahoo said wherever complaints regarding glitches in EVMs were made, officials were rushed to address the situation.

Adequate police protection has been deployed in all four constituencies to ensure peaceful election, he added.

 

According to the EC figures, all four constituencies-- Sulur (31.55 per cent), Aravakurichi (34.89 per cent), Thirupparankundram (30.02 per cent) and Ottapidaram (SC) (30.28 percent), recorded over 30 per cent voting till 11 AM.

Brisk polling was also on in the 13 polling booths where repolling was ordered for reasons, including alleged irregularities and technical issues.

Meanwhile, the AIADMK filed complaints against the DMK with the CEO.

AIADMK Spokesperson and party advocate R M Babu Murugavel accused Aravakurichi DMK candidate V Senthil Balaji of "wrongful restraint" of voters in two places in the Assembly constituency.

"In the said places, voters were wrongfully restrained by the DMK candidate Mr Senthil Balaji for not to vote... it is a clear violation of election rules," he said.

Murugavel sought action for the voters in the area to cast their votes, besides registration of "criminal cases" against Balaji.

In a seperate plaint, Murugavel alleged that DMK candidates and cadre were preparing food to be distributed to voters in all four Assembly segments and said "it is a clear violation of model code of conduct."

He sought "appropriate action" in this matter.

While bypolls to 18 of the total 22 vacant assembly seats were held on April 18, the rest go to hustings Sunday.

The outcome of the bypolls will decide the future of the K Palaniswamii government as the ruling AIADMK would require a significant number of seats to remain in power.

It has a strength of 113 minus the Speaker in the 234-member house with 22 vacancies

The simple majority in the full house is 117.

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First Published: May 19 2019 | 12:20 PM IST

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