Clash, lack of quorum delay or cancel polls in many places

Aruppukottai DSP Venkatesan, who tried to pacify the DMK and the AIADMK workers, sustained sickle attack. There were also reports of Councillors’ houses in north Tamil Nadu being attacked for not participating in the indirect polls.

Elections were also delayed in pockets of Theni, Madurai, Pudhukottai and Thiruvannamalai districts after the Councillors abstained from voting. The Congress, the AMMK and the DMK Councillors cross-voted in several local bodies facilitating the victory of the ruling AIADMK, which faced a setback in the direct elections.  In Thanjavur, Tiruchy, Thiruvarur the polling was peaceful and the results were out by noon.

Elections to local bodies in rural areas of Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Vellore, Tirupattur, Ranipet, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Tirunelveli and Tenkasi districts were put on hold due to delimitation.

A jubilant Health Minister C Vijaya Bhaskar, who congratulated the AIADMK candidates in Pudhukottai, told reporters that the AIADMK has won the local bodies by winning the chairperson and vice-chairperson posts.      Elections were held for 9,622 village panchayat offices for vice-president posts, 314 Union offices for panchayat union chairpersons and vice-chairpersons.