Chennai, Apr 06
Voter turnout crossed 60 per cent in Tamil Nadu by evening as polling continued peacefully with key leaders, including AIAD MK’s K Pala niswami, O Panneerselvam and DMK chief MK Stalin, exercising their franchise for the April 6 assembly polls on Tuesday. Sporadic, poll related minor incidents were, however, reported from a couple of places though there were no major untoward incidents. Till 5 pm, the polling was 63.60 per cent, Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo told reporters. Namakkal saw the highest of 70.79 per cent and Tirunelveli the lowest with 50.05 per cent.
The ruling AIADMK filed a petition with the CEO against Udhayanidhi Stalin, DMK candidate from Chepauk-Triplicane segment here for allegedly wearing a party insignia that also encompassed party symbol ‘rising sun’ while voting. The AIADMK sought Udhayanidhi’s ‘disqualification’.
AIADMK Lok Sabha MP P Ravindhranath alleged he and his supporters were allegedly attacked by DMK men. Pointing to the damaged windscreen and window of his car, he alleged it was an attempt aimed at a ‘murderous assault’, adding ‘huge stones’ were used for the attack. DMK’s Thonda muthur constituency nominee in Coimbatore district, Karthikeya Sivesenapathy alleged ruling AIADMK and BJP people tried to attack when he was travelling in a car. The video of the ‘attack’ was ‘clear’ he told reporters, adding a complaint has been lodged. An AIADMK worker allegedly threatened him too, he claimed.
In Salem district, a scuffle broke out in a polling station between a man who was wearing a ‘PMK’ party towel and a voter who objected to it and police intervened to disperse them.
