Tiruvannamalai's 82 pc highest in civic poll in State: Collector

In Tiruvannamalai, where highest voter turnout was reported in the first phase of polling, nine panchayat unions race for 17 district panchayat wards, 160 panchayat union wards, 362 village panchayat president post and 2,727 panchayat wards. The nine panchayat unions that gears for polling in the second phase include Polur, Kalasapakkam, Chengam, Chetpet, Pudupalayam, Jawadhu hills, Vandavasi, Arni west and Arni. The total electorate of 7,61,951 voters are expected to exercise their franchise in the 1,590 polling booths.

On the last day of campaign, the poll officials seized Rs 54,000 cash and silver plates from two different persons near Chengam as they failed to provide supporting documents to prove ownership of the articles. In the 18 locations where ballot boxes would be kept till the counting day, arrangements have been made for round-the-clock surveillance through CCTV cameras. The candidates and their representatives have been instructed to sign the visitors register each time they visit a counting centre.

Meanwhile, Collector KS Kandasamy said that the Tiruvannamalai district recorded the highest voters’ turnout in Tamil Nadu of 82.82 per cent in the first phase of polling for the local body elections. Stating that the highest turnout in Tiruvannamalai was 87.14 per cent in Vembakkam panchayat union, he said, the lowest polling percentage was recorded both in Thandarampattu and Tiruvannamalai PUs. However, the high average was due to all the 9 PUs having more than 81 per cent polling percentage, he added.