Voter turnout in the three Parliamentary constituencies of Chennai has crossed 20% as of 12 p.m. said District Election Officer J. Radhakrishnan.
Speaking to mediapersons after inspecting the webcasting control room at the Chennai Corporation headquarters Ripon Buildings, Mr. Radhakrishnan said the elections have been peaceful in Chennai.
Turnout has been low in segments such as Anna Nagar, Thousand Lights of Central Chennai parliamentary constituency in the morning. The turnout has been higher in segments such as Harbour and Egmore in Central Chennai in the morning.
Tamil Nadu Lok Sabha elections, Phase 1 LIVE Updates | 24.37% votes polled till 11 a.m.
The Chennai district election office has received complaints that some individuals were distributing booth slips with symbols of political parties. “We have stepped up surveillance in the city,” he said.
Groups of transgender persons visited polling booths in large numbers in Choolaimedu in Central Chennai. Noori, an elector from a group of transgender persons who visited a booth in Choolaimedu said officials should encourage the transgender persons to vote in the elections. “We need more guidance. We don’t get always adequate information,” said Ms. Noori.
Reports of deletion of electors from the rolls have been received by officials in Central Chennai.
In the morning, actor Rajinikanth visited Stella Maris college in booth number 229 AV to cast his vote.
The Chennai district election office has also increased webcasting in polling booths from 65% to 70% of the total number of polling booths in the city. Officials who are monitoring these polling booths have directed presiding officers to prevent crowding at the booths. A total of 2,624 booths in Chennai are being monitored live, said an official.
South Chennai
Polling in most parts of south Chennai proceeded smoothly, and many senior citizens were seen arriving to cast their votes at polling booths from 7 a.m. onwards.
DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin cast his vote at SIET Women’s College in Teynampet.
Speaking to mediapersons, he urged voters to exercise their franchise without fail. “I have exercised my right to vote. I urge everyone to come out and cast their vote without fail, he said, adding, “India will win.”
After casting his vote, T.N. Governor R N Ravi said, “Our country is the mother of democracy and this is the biggest festival of democracy. I would urge all citizens, especially first time voters, to take part in it with full enthusiasm.”
BJP South Chennai candidate Tamilisai Soundrajan cast her vote in Saligramam. Ms. Soundararajan is pitted against DMK’s incumbent MP Thamizhachi Thangapandian and AIADMK’s J. Jayavardhan.
After casting her vote, she said, “I am happy to cast my vote. For the past 30 years, this has been my booth. I appeal to all the citizens to come and vote because that is our right. Today is a holiday to cast our vote, not just to enjoy ourselves. That is my humble appeal. When people vote, qualified and good people can be elected.”
BJP leader and actor Kusboo Sundar was among the other notable persons who cast her vote in the constituency.
Many voters said price rise was a major issue this time around and the government should take initiatives to bring down the prices of essential commodities.
North Chennai voters complain of names missing
Many voters in north Chennai, especially in Egmore and Perambur, complained that their names were missing from the electoral rolls. Shakunthala Thiyagarajan, 55, of Patel Road in Perambur claimed that the names of all four members of her family including herself, were not on the electoral rolls for the first time.
Rajkumar, 54, another resident of Perambur constituency also had a similar complaint: “I am a sectional engineer in the Chennai Division of the Southern Railway but my name was not on the list,” he said.
Nearly 10 residents of Egmore claimed their names were missing from the electoral rolls this year, at the Regional Deputy Commissioner Office (North) in Zone 5, Chennai. They claimed that the local authorities had said a “software update” had caused the alleged deletion. There are several others in the constituency waiting to vote since 7 a.m., a resident said.
T. Arumugam of the AMMK said fishermen deferred the protest against the gas and oil leak in Ennore to vote on April 19.
Earlier in the day, issues related to EVM and VVPAT were noted in two booths in Thiruvottiyur and Royapuram each, and later in Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar. All were resolved within an hour, officials said.
As of 11 a.m. 22.05 per cent of voters had cast their votes in Chennai North; 21.97% in Chennai South and 20.09% in Chennai Central.
Smooth voting in Vellore
Except for a few instances of delay in commencement of voting mainly due to technical glitches in the EVMs, polling proceeded smoothly in Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Arakkonam and Arani Lok Sabha constituencies, on Friday, April 19, 2024.
Wheelchairs to assist the senior citizens and persons with disabilities were available in each booth across Vellore, Ranipet, Tirupattur and Tiruvannamalai districts that comprises four Lok Sabha consttitutencies. Senior voters were guided by neighbours and family members to polling booths. First-time voters turned up in large numbers especially in towns like Vellore, Ambur, Vaniyambadi, Arakkonam, Ranipet, Arcot, Tiruvannamalai and Arani.
Prominent voters, who cast their vote, in the region included VIT’s founder - chancellor G. Viswanathan, who has been voting at the same polling booth since 1967; DMK’s general secretary and Minister for Water Resources Duraimurugan, who came along with his son D.M. Kathir Anand, MP (Vellore) and cast his vote at Katpadi that comes under Arakkonam Lok Sabha constituency.
In surprise move, farmers, who have been agitating against the State government’s plan to acquire a vast tract of land for the proposed phase-3 project of SIPCOT industrial park at the Anakavoor panchayat union near Cheyyar town in Tiruvannamalai, voted at the polling booths at their respective villages near the town. Except Narmapallam village where low voter turnout was recorded, voter turnout was high in other agitating villages like Melma, Kurumbur, Thethurai, Nedungal, Athi, Vada Alapirandan, Veerapakkam and Lianeerkundram, election officials said.
