Oppn AIADMK loses in ex-min Veeramani’s home turf as well

In Vellore district’s Pootuthaaku village panchayat, the president’s post was won by Deepika, a 20-year-old candidate.

In Tirupattur district, Priyadarshini Gnanvelan, wife of VS Gnanavelan, the present DMK Alangayam west PU secretary, romped home in ward 3 in district panchayat defeating the BJP and DMDK candidates securing nearly 33,000 votes. Sources revealed that many candidates lost their deposits.

While media personnel were flooded with counting related information from Tirupattur and Ranipet districts, there was an eerie silence in Vellore district where officials not only failed to keep the media within the loop, but were unable to provide data even when approached directly.

When counting staff at Arakkonam - who started counting duty at 6 am - did not receive their breakfast fill 10.30 am and walked out of the hall, they were placated by senior officials who rushed food to them while Collector Baskara Pandian in a conciliatory move had dinner with them in the counting hall. But, when a lady official fainted in Anaicut PU (Vellore district), necessary help was rendered by SP S Selvakumar.

Asked about the delay in ensuring food for counting staff in Anaicut PU, 20 km from Vellore, officials said that due to heavy rain that lashed for two hours the van carrying food to Anaicut got stuck in slush en route. “We had to arrange another van to transport the food to the counting centre” the official added.