CHENNAI: First phase of the civic polls for over 1.35 lakh local bodies in Tamil Nadu wason Monday marred by allegations of irregularities by opposition parties against the ruling AIADMK as 28 per cent voters cast their votes till 11 am. Besides complaints of names missing in voters’ list and glitches in EVMs, allegations of non-compliance of Madras High Court order on video recording of the polling, lack of enough security and bogus voting were levelled by DMK and other opposition parties, including PMK. “In non-compliance with High Court orders, around 85 per cent of the booths did not have web cameras installed. No video recording of the polling was done,” DMK treasurer and former deputy chief minister M K Stalin told reporters here.
Stalin alleged AIADMK-sponsored goons were involved in booth-capturing in some areas and there were very little police presence in polling booths.
The issue would be taken up with the Chief Justice of Madras High Court, he said. Meanwhile, PMK’s Mayoral candidate in Chennai and former union minister A K Moorthy wrote to Madras High Court Chief Justice M Y Eqbal alleging “flagrant violations” of its orders on the conduct of free and fair polls. “There was no police protection provided in polling booths. No video coverage of polling happened, booth slip was not provided to voters and there is no person in the polling booth to distribute booth slips,” he said, adding, the state election commission has “violated HC directions, thus favouring AIADMK”. “There is no atmosphere prevalent in the polling booths as to ensure free and fair polling in the Chennai corporation election,” he said and sought the court’s intervention for free and fair polls. (PTI)