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Brisk polling was reported in the 10 Lok Sabha constituencies in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu on Friday, April 19, 2024.
Polling, which commenced at 7 a.m., proceeded smoothly in both rural and urban pockets, officials said.
There was a little confusion at a polling booth in Begampur in Dindigul constituency as there were no signboards. Elderly people found it difficult to climb up the ramp, which was not disabled-friendly.
Tamil Nadu Lok Sabha elections, Phase 1 LIVE Updates | 12.5% votes polled till 9 a.m.
For Abitha and Lokesh, first-time voters, the whole process was exciting. A student in Coimbahttps://www.thehindu.com/elections/lok-sabha/lok-sabha-election-2024-phase-1-tamil-nadu-voting/article68079765.ecetore, Abita said that she had come home to cast her vote and was thrilled about doing her duty. Reading the newspapers had helped them form some idea about whom to vote for, Lokesh said.
EVMs malfunction
At the Ammapatti polling booth in the Athur Assembly segment, the EVM was defective. As a result, polling could not proceed for about two hours.
In the Natham Assembly segment, Seeragampatti village residents staged a dharna seeking basic amenities and a school. “There is no road. There is no water. Why should we vote,” they asked, and claimed that they had boycotted the polls. Officials said that there were about 100 votes here. The call to boycott took them off guard, as they had spoken to the residents earlier.
In Madurai, polling was brisk from 7 a.m. in pockets like Melur Assembly. T.N. Minister P. Moorthy arrived at a polling station and cast his vote. Likewise, Minister P. T. R. Palanivel Thiaga Rajan cast his vote at the Kakkai Padiniyar Corporation Girls Higher Secondary School in Madurai accompanied by his mother Rukmini Palanivelrajan, Fit Person of the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple.
Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister P. Chidambaram cast his vote in Kandanur in Sivaganga on Friday, April 19, 2023 | Photo Credit: BALACHANDAR L
In Sivaganga, senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram cast his vote. Senior BJP leader H. Raja was one of the first voters to cast his vote at a booth here.
In Tirunelveli district, T.N. Legislative Assembly Speaker M. Appavu cast his vote in a booth at his hometown near Valliyoor. At 11 a.m., Tenkasi Lok Sabha constituency had polled 24.68 %.
In Thoothukudi and Kanniyakumari Lok Sabha constituencies too, voting proceeded smoothly. BJP leader and candidate Pon Radhakrishnan, after casting his vote in Nagercoil, told press persons that the Congress was distributing money and urged the officials to take note of it.
Madurai Returning Officer M. S. Sangeetha said that polling percentage stood at 22.35 % with Melur Assembly recording 28.66 % and Madurai North 19.79 % as of 11 a.m.
In the Bodinayakkanur Assembly segment, polling percentage was 28.73 and Andipatti had 20.71 % at 11 a.m., Theni Returning Officer R V Shajeevana said.
The polling percentage was 25.92 at 11 a.m. in Ramanathapuram Lok Sabha constituency with Tiruchuli Assembly polling 28.62 % and Ramanathapuram Assembly at 24.61 %.
