Simmering tensions, allegations of booth capturing surface in South Chennai

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

Simmering tensions, faulty webcams and allegations of booth capturing surfaced from various areas of south Chennai during municipal corporation elections.

In ward number 179 of Velacherry, riot police was seen patrolling the Advent School as protesters were gathering outside the gate. The situation was tense with candidates from DMK, Congress, MDMK and an Independent candidate alleging booth capturing by ruling ADMK in nearby Akshaya School.

Interestingly, police denied there was any such incident and the polling observers remained silent when queries were posed to them. Surprisingly, none of the webcams were working in that booth, where some torn booth slips were littered on the steps.

What was more interesting was the that reporter witnessed ADMK supporters walking inside the polling booth and talking among themselves which booth to cast bogus votes as polling officials and police remained as mute spectators. And then a booth agent ticked them off that Press is watching them and they went out silently.

In Neelankarai Thoraipakkam allegations were made against the ADMK supporters of trying to woo the voters to vote for their candidate T G Govindasamy. Dhanapal, vice-president of Communist Party of India in the region said that a group of supporters rushed inside the area and were indulging in campaigning for their candidate. “We reported this to the police who shooed them away,” he said. But the supporters have managed to emerge again, he added.

Similarly, there was simmering tension in Kanthanchavadi in Perungudi but the situation was brought to normal with the timely intervention of poll observers and the police. “The voting was affected for 10 minutes. We will be reporting it to the polling officer,” said the election official. He also dismissed allegations of booth capture in that area and said polling has been peaceful.  

In Sringeri Mutt Road in R A Puram, there were reports of a verbal duel between ADMK and DMK supporters sparking tension in the area. However, it was resolved soon. There were also reports of few bogus votes being cast in that ward. Ramanathan, 51, a businessman, reported to the presiding officer in the booth that his vote was cast by someone else.

In Palavakkam, tension surfaced in the noon when some people tried to cast bogus vote. “With the timely intervention of police the issue was sorted out,” said a DMK candidate adding that the miscreants will try it out again.