Tamil Nadu goes to poll to fill over 12,800 posts in more than 640 urban local bodies across the State. With over 57,700 candidates are in the fray, a total of 228 candidates have been declared elected unopposed.
Here are the latest updates:
Madurai district records a polling of 52.73 % votes.
Vellore records 50% polling as of 3 p.m.
After an early slow start, polling picked up later in the day with around 50 % votes polled for the urban local body elections in Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Ranipet and Tirupattur districts as of 3 p.m on Saturday.
Key towns in Vellore like Gudiyatham, Katpadi and Vellore Corporation registered around 50 % of votes by 3 p.m. whereas small towns like Pallikonda, Thiruvalam and Odugathur along Jawadhu Hills near Anaicut block have recorded over 65 % of total votes polled in the district.
Coimbatore sees around 40 % polling as of 3 p.m.
As of 3 p.m., Coimbatore City polled 40.39% votes in the urban local body polls on Saturday.
In the Nilgiris, 47.48 % of voters cast their votes till 3 p.m. Around 52 % of voters cast their votes in wards in municipalities and 44 % of voters in 11 town panchayats have cast their vote so far.
As of 3 p.m., Madurai yet to hit 50 % in polling, other Southern districts do better
The overall polling percentage in Ramanathapuram, Theni, Dindigul and Sivaganga districts crossed the 50 per cent mark at 3 p.m. in southern Tamil Nadu, while Madurai and Tirunelveli were yet to reach the halfway mark, according to reports from the special control room.
The 10 districts of southern Tamil Nadu saw largely peaceful polling in almost all Municipal, Town Panchayat and Corporation wards on Saturday. The polling, which began at 7 a.m., was brisk in rural and semi-urban pockets, while it was dull in urban locations, polling officials said.
After dull start, polling picks up in Central districts, over 50 % polled in most places as of 3 p.m.
Brisk polling was reported in most parts of the central region with almost all the nine districts here recording more than 50% polling till 3 p.m.
Karur district recorded the highest overall polling percentage of 63.56% as of 3 p.m. The polling percentage in the town panchayats in the district was 76.69% and in municipalities it was 58.92%. The Karur Corporation reported 60.28% polling percentage.
Ariyalur district reported the second-highest average polling percentage of 62.34% in the region. While 57.86% of voters had cast their votes in Ariyalur Municipality, more than 70% of voters in Udayarpalayam and Vardharajanpettai town panchayats had exercised their franchise by 3 p.m.
Ariyalur district reported the second-highest average polling percentage of 62.34% in the region. While 57.86% of voters had cast their votes in Ariyalur Municipality, more than 70% of voters in Udayarpalayam and Vardharajanpettai town panchayats had exercised their franchise by 3 p.m.
Chennai Corporation registers 32.09% polling as of 3 p.m.
The Greater Chennai Corporation has registered 32.09% polling in the 200 wards of the city by 3 p.m. on Saturday.
Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi said polling has been peaceful in the city. A total of 184 complaints were received from residents by the control room at Ripon Buildings.
In the morning, the turnout was low in many polling stations, with fewer women casting their votes when compared to men in a number of polling stations.
The number of electors at polling stations started increasing in the afternoon, officials said -- Aloysius Xavier Lopez
Even a snake bite did not stop this Virudhunagar resident from casting his vote
Despite pain and discomfort, M. Balamurugan (35) of Kariyapatti went to the polling booth at the Government Girls’ Higher Secondary School, in Virudhunagar district on Saturday, to cast his vote.
Mr. Balamurugan had suffered a snake bite and had only been discharged from hospital on Friday. His right leg was covered with bandages from his thigh to his ankle.
‘Voters faced difficulty in finding polling booth’
Anna Nagar MLA from DMK M. K. Mohan, who inspected a booth in his constituency, expressed disappointment over the poor turnout. He said that turnout is relatively better at low income neighbourhoods. He added that many voters faced difficulty finding their their polling booth as it has changed from the Assembly election last year for many of them.
State records 8.21% polling till 9.00 a.m.
Tamil Nadu recorded a voter turnout of 8.21% till 9 a.m. in the urban local body polls, and polling in Chennai was expected to pick up in the coming hours, Tamil Nadu State Election Commissioner, V. Palanikumar said.
The turnout in the Corporations was 5.78%, Municipalities 10.32% and Town Panchayats 11.74%, Mr. Palanikumar said.
He said polling was largely peaceful across the State. There were only complaints of around 30-40 EVMs malfunctioning that were set right or replaced, following which polling was continued, he said.
Polling peaceful in Chennai, says Police Commissioner Shankar Jiwal
City Police Commissioner Shankar Jiwal said urban local body polling has been largely peaceful across the city, barring a few complaints on distribution of money, food and other issues.
The City Police Commissioner inspected several polling stations on Saturday morning. After visiting a polling centre at Bharat Senior Secondary school, he enquired with a returning officer on whether there were any issues. He asked whether mobile police parties had visited the polling booth and sought to know whether any assistance was needed from the police.
First phase polling is 10% in Kancheepuram Corporation
In Kancheepuram district, the Kancheepuram Corporation which went for polls along with town panchayats and municipalities, the Corporation has polled around 10% of votes in the first phase.
The Kancheepuram Corporation, having been upgraded from a municipality, has a total of 2,18,173 votes. On Saturday of the total of 23,293 votes polled, men voters were high at 13,544 and women votes were at 9,749- R . Srikanth
Tambaram corporation sees poor voting
In the first phase of polling for 70 wards of Tambaram corporation on Saturday, a total of 50,787 votes were polled.
In the corporation which has more than 7,75,000 votes 15,959 men and 9,840 women have voted. A total of 25,699 votes were polled.- T.N. Bureau
Southern TN districts see brisk polling
Polling for the urban local body elections commenced on a brisk note in many of the southern districts of Tamil Nadu on Saturday.
Madurai Collector S. Aneesh Shekhar cast his vote at a polling station in the Armed Reserve Police Grounds.
Polling starts on a brisk note in the western districts
Polling for the urban local body elections in the western districts of Tamil Nadu started on a brisk note on Saturday, and was largely incident-free. Safety measures such as distribution of gloves and sanitisers were in place in almost all polling stations.
The Coimbatore Corporation saw 6.79% voters cast their votes by 9 a.m. Polling started off peacefully at 7 a.m. without glitches in voting machines or any law and order issues, said Coimbatore Corporation sources.
CM confident about DMK sweeping urban local body elections
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Friday expressed confidence that the ruling DMK will record a resounding victory in the urban local body elections, particularly in all the Corporations in the State.
Addressing the media after casting his vote in Teynampet here on Saturday, Mr. Stalin blamed the AIADMK for making baseless and false allegations against the DMK regarding poll violations. He said that they were doing it as they will need some one to blame for the loss they are going to face in the elections.
“We have brought all that under control. They are afraid of losing the election. That is why they’re making these baseless allegations. There is no need to use the army (Central security forces) as demanded by him (Mr. Velumani),” he said.- T.N. Bureau
Complaint of money distribution reported in Thiruvanmiyur
DMK functionaries alleged that AIADMK cadre were distributing money to voters in the 179th ward in Singaravelan Nagar, Thiruvanmiyur in Chennai.
Reportedly, AIADMK supporters were found distributing cash along with booth slips near a booth in Singaravelan Nagar. They were asking voters to cast their votes in favour of the party's candidate. When DMK men questioned this, a heated argument erupted between them.
A mobile police party reached the spot and the AIADMK cadre escaped from there, leaving the money with the booth slips.
The Thiruvanmiyur Police are inquiring into the matter- R. Sivaraman
Voters queue up, polling peaceful in Vellore, Ranipet, Tirupattur & Tiruvannamalai
Polling for the urban local body elections has been progressing peacefully on Saturday, with voters turning up early to cast their votes in Vellore, Ranipet, Tirupattur and Tiruvannamalai districts that form the erstwhile North Arcot areas in northern Tamil Nadu. Around 15% of votes had been cast until 9. 30 a.m. on Saturday.
Cuddalore district records average voter turnout of 10.11 % till 9.00 a.m.- T.N. Bureau
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin casts his vote along with his wife Durga Stalin
Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma. Subramanian cast his vote in Chennai for the TN urban local body polls
Polling underway at Greater Chennai Corporation
The Greater Chennai Corporation has made security arrangements at all polling stations in the city. Polling began in over 4,800 polling stations at 7 a.m. Security arrangements have been strengthened in critical and vulnerable polling stations in all the wards, said Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi on Saturday.
Mr. Bedi voted at the polling station in Chinmaya Vidyalaya in ward 127 in Kodambakkam.
Tendered ballot papers have been distributed to all the polling stations. Each polling station has received 20 tendered ballot papers. The presiding officer of each polling station has powers to issue tendered ballot papers for electors whose votes have already been cast by another person. Once an elector finds that his vote is already cast, the elector may request the presiding officer to permit voting through tendered ballot papers.
Minister for Commercial Taxes and Registration Department P. Moorthy casting his vote at a polling station in Madurai.
Polling begins on a dull note in Tiruchi
Polling for the urban local body elections begun on a dull note in Tiruchi on Saturday.
Voters were seen waiting in queues only in some booths, while many others had just a few voters in the first hour of polling. Several voters said they had not received the booth slips and had queued up to get the same first at the polling booths. The change in ward numbers caused much confusion and difficulty for voters to obtain the slips.
Actor Vijay cast his vote at a polling booth in Neelangarai in Chennai earlier this morning for the Urban Local Body Polls.
Chennai Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi cast his vote
Minister for Information and Publicity M.P. Saminathan votes in the civic poll
Telangana Governor and Puducherry Lt. Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan votes
Madurai Collector S. Aneesh Shekhar casts vote
18,000 police personnel deployed for civic polls in Chennai
The Greater Chennai City Police has tightened security arrangements and deployed over 18,000 police and 4,000 non- police personnel for local bodies polls to be held in 167 wards of Chennai Corporation which fall under the city police jurisdiction.
On the orders of City Police Commissioner Shankar Jiwal, the police have put in place elaborate security arrangements in all the wards so as to ensure people cast their votes without any fear or hesitation.
Security scaled up for urban local bodies poll
Elaborate security arrangements have been made by the police in Tiruchi and other districts in the central region to ensure smooth conduct of the elections to be held for the urban local bodies on Saturday.
Comprehensive security schemes have been drafted in each district in the region with field-level police personnel having been given briefings about their role and responsibilities.
Voting for Tamil Nadu urban local bodies elections to start at 7 a.m.
Polling to fill over 12,800 posts in more than 640 urban local bodies across Tamil Nadu will commence at 7 a.m. and end at 6 p.m. on February 19.
More than 2.79 crore residents, including 1.42 crore women, 1.37 crore men and over 4,300 from the third gender, are eligible to vote.
Between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., only those having COVID-19 symptoms and those who have been infected will be allowed to vote, according to the Tamil Nadu State Election Commission (TNSEC).
