LS polls: TN records 72.09% voter turnout

Chenna: Tamil Nadu recorded a voter turnout of 72.09 percent in the Lok Sabha polls held in a single phase on Friday with no major untoward incidents.

About 1.3 lakh police personnel and 190 companies of Central Armed Police forces were deployed for free and fair polls in 68,321 polling stations, that were manned by 3,32,233 election personnel in 39 Lok Sabha constituencies across the state.

In 2019 LS polls, Tamil Nadu registered 72.44 per cent polling.

The lone Puducherry Lok Sabha seat recorded 77.86 per cent polling, according to the union territory election authorities.

The fight is between BJP’s A Namassivayam and Congress MP V Vaithilingam, seeking a successive term.

In 2019, Puducherry recorded 81.25 per cent voting.

Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo said the polling process was held peacefully across the state barring some very minor incidents, that were argumentative in nature.

Authorities indicated there could be some marginal change in the voter turunout as voters who had arrived before the 6 PM deadline in polling stations were allowed to vote.

There were reports of glitches in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in some places but they were rectified.

The contest was largely three-way with ruling DMK, AIADMK and BJP leading respective blocs.

The polling process began at 7 AM across the state on a brisk note and by noon it went on a sluggish pace for a while and later picked up till voting ended.

While Kallakurichi in northern Tamil Nadu saw the highest voting percentage of 75.67 per cent, Central Chennai recorded 67.35, the lowest. DMK’s Dayanidhi Maran, BJP’s Vinoj P Selvam and DMDK’s Parthasarathy, an AIADMK ally are the key candidates.

In Coimbatore, where BJP state president K Annamalai is facing a three-way challenge from DMK’s Ganapathy Rajkumar, AIADMK’s Singai G Ramachandran and Naam Tamilar Katchi’s (NTK) Kalamani Jaganathan, 71.17 percent voter turnout was recorded.

Annamalai claimed the names of about one lakh voters were not found in the electoral rolls and sought appropriate action.

South Chennai, where BJP’s Tamilisai Soundararajan is trying her luck saw 67.82 per cent polling. DMK’s Tamizachi Thangapandian and AIADMK’s J Jayavardhan are her main rivals.