Polls today: All eyes on Thanjai, Aravakurichi

Apart from this. the by-election to the Nellithope seat in neighbouring Puducherry will also be conducted on November 19.  While 2,00,347 voters will be exercising their franchise in Aravakurichi, a total of 2,68,516 are expected to cast their votes at Thanjavur and the number will be over 2.85 lakh at Tiruparankundram in Madurai district. 

A total of 39 candidates are in the fray in Aravakurichi segment, 14 in Thanjavur and 28 at Tiruparankundram constituency. As was the case with all polls in TN in the past, the main contest is between the ruling AIADMK and the DMK in all the three constituencies in the state. Interestingly, leaders of both these parties are unwell, hence could not visit the constituencies to campaign for their candidates. 

While AIADMK general secretary and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has been hospitalised since September 22, DMK president M Karunanidhi has stayed away from his official duties for the past several weeks owing to ill health. Though the BJP, DMDK and other minor parties have entered the fray, they are practically lightweights and it needs to be seen if they will get substantial votes. 

Tiruparankundram constituency is ready and all set to face the by-poll said Madurai Collector, K Veera Raghav Rao in Madurai.

Addressing the media, he claimed that all the necessary measures were taken at the constituency and 86.5 percentage of polling slips were distributed by the officials. People who have not received their polling slips can show any of their photo attested ID cards and can poll at their booths. In total 3,096 polling personnel including 1,343 Revenue Officials are involved in the election duty and for security purpose there are 2,773 police and para military force. In total five companies of paramilitary force are involved in election duty at Tiruparankundram constituency, he said.  All the 582 EVMs were separated into 26 and they were handed over to 26 Zonal parties. 

The Zonal parties would hand over the EVMs to 97 polling stations in the constituency. Central government employees are appointed as micro observers in all the 291 polling booths for strict implementation of election rules. Tiruparankundram constituency has 2,85,980 voters and apart from them there are 503 service voters. The service voters are military and para military personnel from Tiruparankundram constituency serving at the armed forces across India. There are only two postal votes in the district and both are from persons who are under preventive detention. As no government employee from Tiruparankundram constituency is deputed for election duty there were no postal votes from the government officials.

DEO had directed all the banks not to place indelible ink marks on the fingers of people to avoid confusion.