Second phase of local body polls today

The second phase of rural local bodies’ elections in 158 panchayat unions will be conducted on Monday. Repolling for 30 booths in which elections were held in the first phase on December 27, will also be held in the second phase, a release from Tamil Nadu State Election Commission (TNSEC) stated.  

According to TNSEC officials, “In the second phase of polling, 158 Panchayat Unions would be covered and representatives for 46,639 posts in 27 districts would be elected.” 

After eight years, the election for rural local bodies was announced in two phases and the first phase of election was conducted on Friday. In the first phase, 76.19 per cent voting was recorded. 

Following the first phase, campaigning for the second phase ended by Saturday evening and TNSEC commenced its process of setting up polling booths. Materials related to election such as ballot boxes, papers, inks and other required infrastructure were set up by TNSEC on Sunday. For the first time, Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were used on a pilot basis in Kanniyakumari district. Every voter has to cast four votes to elect district panchayat members, panchayat union members, panchayat presidents and panchayat ward members. 

TNSEC officials also said that the second phase of polling would cover 25,008 polling booths and 1.24 crore voters would cast votes. They will elect 255 district panchayat members, 2,544 panchayat union members, 4,924 panchayat presidents and 38,916 panchayat ward members. The votes would be counted on January 2 and the elected panchayat officials would take charge the following day. The model code of conduct (MCC) would end after the counting of votes.

The local body elections have largely been incident free and there was no report of cash seizure either. After the end of election for rural local bodies TNSEC is gearing up for elections for urban local bodies and elections for rural local bodies in the remaining nine districts, except Chennai. The party leaders were involved in final phase of discussion with the party men about the second phase of election on Sunday. In the ruling AIADMK, ministers were assigned one district each to take care of the election work in the district and the Ministers in-charge held discussion with the local party members about the steps to be taken at the time of polling.

A TNSEC release stated, “Due to various reasons, including booth capturing, distribution of wrong ballot papers, absence of symbol and so on, elections for 30 booths which were conducted in the first phase on Friday, would be conducted again on Monday”.

The list of 30 booths include one each in Harur in Dharmapuri, Kottampatti in Madurai, Kollidam in Nagapattinam, Veppur in Perambalur, Thiruvidaimarudhur in Thanjavur, Sathankulam in Thoothukudi, two booths in Kadambathur in Thiruvallur, nine booths in Uthangarai in Krishnagiri and 13 booths in Viralimalai in Pudukkottai.