Booth slip distribution in poll bound districts begins

Those electors who are not able to produce the electoral photo identity card shall produce one of the following alternative photo identity documents for establishing their identity, TNSEC said in a statement.

Passport, driving license, service identity cards with photograph issued to employees by central, state government. Passbooks with photograph issued by bank, post office, PAN card, smart card issued by government, job card, health insurance smart card issued under the scheme of ministry of labour, pension document with photograph, official identity cards to MPs/MLAs/MLCs and Aadhaar card can be used as photo document, the statement said.

A total of 12 ID cards can be used to exercise the voting rights, the statement said. The commission also said that those who had availed the booth slips can walk into the counters along with a ID card from 6 am to 7 pm. Provision of masks, face shields, gloves and PPE kits to polling officers are also under dispatch, TNSEC sources said. Counting of votes will take place on October 12 and the first meeting of the elected councillors will take place on October 20.

M Balasubramaniam, secretary of Kasthurirangapuram village panchayat, Tirunelveli district, has been placed under suspension after he’s charged with violating the model code of conduct ahead of polls. The suspension was ordered based on a directive from Tirunelveli Collector V. Vishnu, sources said on Saturday. According to Radhapuram Block Development Officer, I. Loyola Joseph Arockiadoss, the panchayat secretary was complained of campaigning for her wife, who’s contesting for the post of panchayat president at Kasthurirangapuram.