Chennai, Apr 6 (UNI) Moderate to brisk polling was reported as an estimated 39.61 per cent of the total 6.29 crore electorate have cast their ballots till 1300 hrs, as the single phase polling in one of the most fiercely contested Assembly elections apart from the bypoll to the Kanyakumari Lok Sabha seat, progressed peacefully.
Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo
told reporters that 39.61 per cent of votes were
recorded in the first six hours till 1300 hrs.
While the southern Virudhunagar district recorded
the highest poll percentage of 41.79 per cent, the
neighbouring Tirunelveli district recorded the
lowest of 32.29 per cent.
Chennai city recorded 37.16 per cent, he added.
Mr Sahoo said the polling process was continuing
peacefully and no major complaints were received
from any part of the State.
A total of 3,998 candidates are in the fray to elect
the 16th Assembly.
For the Kanniyakumari bypoll, which was necessitated
following the death of Congress MP H Vasanthakumar,
a total of 12 candidates are in the fray.
The bypoll will witness a direct fight between former
Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan of BJP and Vasantha
kumar's son Vijay Vasanth of Congress.
The BJP is facing the polls as part of AIADMK alliance
and the Congress as an ally of the Opposition DMK.
As the covid pandemic protocols are in force, polling
for the 234-Assembly seats began in more than 88,000
polling booths across the state and is continuing
peacefully.
Meanwhile, a senior citizen died after exercising his
franchise in Papanasam Constituency in Thanjavur
district.
District Election Officer and Collector M Govinda Rao,
said the deceased, identified as Arjunan (62) of
Ayyampettai had cast his vote at a school near his
residence.
Subsequently Arjunan, with a history of low blood
pressure, suddenly lost consciousness and swooned.
He was immediatelt rushed to the government taluk
hospital where he was declared dead.
In another incident, five people were injured when
the roof in a polling booth collapsed at Mudukulathur
in Ramanathapuram district and they were admitted to
a hospital.
The elections is witnessing a five-cornered contest with the
fronts headed by the traditional dravidian rivals, the ruling
AIADMK and the Opposition DMK, vying with each other to win
the confidence of the voters, apart from the Makkal Needhi
Maiam (MNM) of actor-politician Kamal Haasan, ousted AIADMK
leader and late J Jayalalithaa's close aide V K Sasikala's
nephew TTV Dhinakaran and actor-director Seeman's Naam
Tamizhar Katchi in the fray.
Though it appeared a five-cornered contest on paper, it will
be a two-horse race, with the main fight between the AIADMK
and the DMK.
This election will be an acid test for the leadership of the
AIADMK and the DMK, who are testing the waters in the absence
of two tall leaders--late Chief Ministers J Jayalalithaa and
M Karunanidhi respectively, notwithstanding the DMK sweeping
the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
While AIADMK is eyeing for a hat-trick of wins, having won
in 2011 and 2016 Assembly polls, the DMK, which on its own
is claiming to be banking on the anti-incumbency factor, is
desparate to come back to power after being in the Opposition
for ten years, in what is billed as a no-holds barred contest.
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