Polling passed off peacefully in Erode district, which saw 72.82% of voters across eight Assembly constituencies exercising their franchise on Tuesday.
The day started with a mock polling held from 5.30 a.m. to 6.30 a.m. at all the 2,741 polling stations, including 38 booths in hill areas without mobile connectivity. Polling began at 7 a.m. amid tight security as voters, including those voting first time and senior citizens, lined up under the scorching sun to cast their votes.
Most of the booths witnessed brisk polling from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. that dropped a little after as mercury level started to soar. Paramilitary personnel were posted in 304 vulnerable booths, while 13,156 polling officers conducted the polling during the day.
Technical snag in an EVM in EPP Nagar in Erode West Assembly constituency delayed polling by over 30 minutes.
At the Ponmudi Panchayat Union Primary School in Perundurai Assembly constituency, independent candidate Thoppu N.D. Venkatachalam staged a sit-in over placement of EVMs in the booth. According to Mr. Venkatachalam, as 25 candidates were contesting, two EVMs were used for polling. He was earlier informed that his symbol ‘Coconut Grove’ would figure in the second EVM. However, the EVM with his symbol was placed first. Perundurai DSP Sivakumar held talks with him and the issue was sorted out.
Polling was halted at one of the five booths in Moongilpatti Government Higher Secondary School in Anthiyur Assembly constituency for three hours after the EVM failed to generate beep sound when an elector cast his vote.
The voter was allowed to cast his vote thrice and still there was no sound from the machine. However, three votes were registered in the control unit. Following this the booth agents of DMK and AIADMK objected to it and staged a protest. Polling was halted at 11.30 a.m. and the EVM was replaced and polling continued after three hours.
As many as 27 voters who came to cast their vote at the Panchayat Union Middle School at Ennamangalam in Anthiyur were turned down after their name did not figure in the electoral roll. Condemning the denial of right to vote, they blocked a TNSTC bus and staged a protest. However, police personnel said that they should have verified their names in the roll earlier and warned them against protesting. Later, the villagers left the spot.
A total of 56 COVID-19 patients submitted forms to cast their votes. A few turned up at their respective booths and they were given PPE kits and allowed to cast their vote from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
After polling ended at 7 p.m., EVMs and VVPATs and other poll materials were taken to the Institute of Road Transport Technology (IRTT) at Chithode and Gobi Arts and Science College at Gobichettipalayam and stored in strong rooms.