Repolling at Chennai booth, 186 out of 548 voters turn up

Chennai: Re-polling at one booth in Chennai’s Velachery assembly constituency concluded on Saturday, where 186 out of 548 eligible voters cast their votes, said a statement from the Greater Chennai Corporation

Chennai: Re-polling at one booth in Chennai’s Velachery assembly constituency concluded on Saturday, where 186 out of 548 eligible voters cast their votes, said a statement from the Greater Chennai Corporation. Voting went on peacefully from 7am to 7pm following all Covid-19 protocol, said the civic body.

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The bypoll was scheduled after Congress and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) candidates complained that staff of Greater Chennai Corporation were transporting an EVM and VVPAT machines on a two-wheeler after polling concluded for the 234 assembly seats on April 6. The corporation staff were later suspended for violating SOPs of transporting EVMs.

Though preliminary reports said that two EVMs were unused, on further investigation, Tamil Nadu’s chief electoral officer Satyabrata Sahoo said that 15 votes were polled in the machine before it developed a snag.

On April 13, the Election Commission of India ordered a repoll in the booth under section 58 (1) (b) of the Representation of People’s Act following reports submitted by returning officers and observers about the incident on April 6.

Velachery is an urban constituency in the southern region of Chennai where the main candidates are from the AIADMK, Congress and MNM. Elections in Tamil Nadu were held in a single phase on April 6 and counting will be done on May 2.