Assembly polls: Extend time for voting in rain-hit areas, parties tell EC
Both Tamil Nadu and Kerala are witnessing multi-cornered contests with BJP hoping to make a mark in the 2 southern states.
Both Tamil Nadu and Kerala are witnessing multi-cornered contests with BJP hoping to make a mark in the 2 southern states.
Tamil Nadu recorded a poll percentage of over 42.1 per cent by 1 pm even as voting was hampered in some districts due to heavy rain, a top election official said. He said appropriate recommendations would be made on extending the voting time in rain affected areas. In Chennai, Pulianthope area was affected due to rains, he added.
-"Due to rains there are power cuts in some areas and there are some problems. However, there is no need to stop polling, the process of polling will continue,-" he said. -"After considering the situation by 2 pm, if needed, appropriate recommendations will be made to the higher EC authorities,-" he told reporters when asked if the time to cast votes would be extended by an hour this evening due to rains.
Over 25 percent voters came out to cast their votes till 11 am as Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, DMK’s Karunanidhi, Captain Vijayakanth, actors Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan and Khushboo showed up during the early hours of the day.
The Election Commission earlier deferred polling in Aravakurichi and Thanjavur to May 23 following allegations of bribing of voters. The counting of votes will take place on May 25.
Meanwhile, nearly 45 percent electorates cast their votes till 1 pm in Kerala. The state's Wayanad district recorded the highest turnout with 32 percent, while the lowest voter turnout is in Trivandrum with 21 percent.
Here are the live updates:
7.45 am: -"Everyone should vote, that is a duty,-" said Rajinikanth after casting his vote in Chennai's Stella Maris College.
7.30 am: -"We will win enough number of seats, our winning prospects are bright,-" said DMK president M. Karunanidhi after casting his vote.
8.30 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday urged the voters to vote in record numbers. -"Urging all voters in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry to vote in record numbers today & be a part of this festival of democracy,-" he tweeted. 8.45 am: DMK Treasurer MK Stalin casted his vote in SIET College, Chennai.
I just cast my vote.Request all to come out & vote tdy.It is everyone's right&duty to uphold democracy #TN100percent pic.twitter.com/usW9Di5p0S
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) May 16, 2016
9 am: Despite heavy rain in South and Central Kerala, 5 per cent voter turnout was recorded.
Urging all voters in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry to vote in record numbers today & be a part of this festival of democracy.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 16, 2016
9.05 am: 20 per cent polling recorded till 9 am in Tamil Nadu; voter turnout in Chennai was13 per cent.
9.40 am: 14 per cent polling in union territory of Puducherry till 9.30 am. 9.45 am: 13.5 per cent voter turnout recorded till 9.30 am in Kerala.
10 am: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa casts her vote at Chennai's Stella Maris College. -"In two days, you will know as to what is the judgement of the people,-" said Jayalalithaa after casting her vote.
10.15 am: Rain in parts of Kerala did not deter voters to cast their vote. Cricketer-turned-politician S Sreeshanth posted a selfie after casting his vote in Thiruvananthapuram. 10.30 am: After casting his vote in Kottayam, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said, -"Going by the ground situation, there is no sign of BJP.-"
— Sreesanth (@sreesanth36) May 16, 2016
11.05 am: Puducherry records 27.52% voting till 11 am
12.45 pm: Kerala witnessed brisk polling for the 140 Assembly constituencies with 28.46 per cent voting recorded till noon. According to Election Commissioner officials, Waynad registered 31.03 polling followed by Kannur and Alappuzha which registered 30 per cent polling while Thiruvananthapuram district recorded the lowest with 23.10 per cent.
1.15 pm: 42.1 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 1 pm in Tamil Nadu while Kerala registered a 45 per cent turnout.
In Kerala, 2.56 crore electors, including 1.33 crore females, will cast their votes. A total of 1, 203 candidates, including 109 females, are in the fray. There are 21,646 polling booths across the State.
Read: Kerala to vote today; triangular contest between UDF, LDF and NDA
A total of 1.12 lakhs polling officials have been drafted for polling duty. A reserve of 20 to 25% Electronic Voting Machines will be available in all the constituencies as a standy arrangement, he said adding that for the first time Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) will be introduced in 12 constituencies spread over 10 districts.
Read: 52,000 police personnel deployed to oversee polls in Kerala
In Puducherry, over 9 lakh voters will exercise their franchise. Voting commenced at 930 polling stations spread over four regions of the Union Territory. As many as 5,382 officials are deputed for polling duties.
Over 6,000 police personnel including the central paramilitary forces will provide security for assembly polls.
This is the first time Tamil Nadu will be witnessing six-cornered fierce contests with the Dravidian majors — AIADMK and DMK — being pitted against a formidable Third Front of six regional parties, evoking political interest across India.
Elections to Aravakurichi constituency in Karur district will be held on May 23 after Election Commission postponed the polling citing huge flow of money.
Read: Tamil Nadu polls: Epic ballot battle today; 3,740 candidates in fray
Elaborate arrangements have been made at all 66,007 booths across the state and 1.72 lakh Electronic Voting Machines have reached the polling stations for the elections on Monday. Dr Radhakrishnan Nagar constituency from where Chief Minister Ms Jayalalithaa is seeking re-election has maximum number of 45 candidates in fray.
The election, which is being touted as the fiercest contest for decades in Tamil Nadu politics, has seen many firsts with a notable one being parties contesting the elections by projecting a Chief Ministerial candidate.
Read: Tamil Nadu assembly elections: It’s change vs constant
The PMK was the first to anoint its youth leader Anbumani Ramadoss as the presumptive CM followed by the DMDK-PWA-TMC alliance, which has projected actor Vijayakanth for the top post.
Ms Jayalalithaa has shown her political guts by fielding candidates in all 234 constituencies, a bold move that even AIADMK founder M.G. Ramachandran never attempted. The DMK aligned with its old friend Congress and an amalgamation of six political parties entered the poll fray as one alliance projecting themselves as an alternative to the Dravidian parties which have ruled the state alternately since 1967.
Read: Thanjavur poll too postponed
Besides, the PMK is fighting the elections on its own and the BJP is facing the high-stakes poll in alliance with lesser know parties. While the DMK and AIADMK are banking on their traditional party vote bank to emerge victorious in the Assembly elections, the DMDK-PWA-TMC alliance is pinning its hopes on first-time voters and youngsters who they claim want an end to the 50 years of rule of the Dravidian majors. The PMK also claims it has the support of majority of the neutral voters and youngsters besides women.
The major issue that drew the attention of the electorate this election is the promise to implement prohibition by almost all the political parties.
(This story originally appeared in the Deccan Chronicle as may the case be)