Velachery repoll: Just 186 of 548 votes cast

Velachery repoll: Just 186 of 548 votes cast

34 Less Than What Was Recorded On April 6

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:18.04.2021

Repolling at booth 92 in Velachery constituency concluded in a smooth manner on Saturday. Only 186 of the total 548 votes were polled, accounting for a 34% turnout.

The votes cast were 34 less than the 220 recorded on election day (April 6).

The Election Commission of India (ECI) had ordered repolling at the booth after Greater Chennai Corporation staff were caught carrying two EVMs and a VVPAT machine on a twowheeler after polling hours on April 6. The authorities claimed they were unused machines. A day later, the civic body suspended three staff members including an assistant engineer in connection with the incident. However, since the method adopted for transportation was against standard protocol, a repoll was ordered.

By noon on Saturday, around 90 votes were polled at the all-male booth at Seetharaman Nagar in Velachery. The area was fortified with heavy police presence and voters were not allowed to take their vehicles near the polling booth.

“The number of polling officials and police personnel on duty for the repoll easily outnumbered the number of voters who turned up,” said a corporation official.

Earlier in the day, corporation commissioner, G Prakash, who is also the district election officer, inspected the arrangements at the polling booth.

The last vote was polled around 5 pm and until the end of polling hours, no voter turned up. After the conclusion of polling, the EVM machines were loaded onto a van in the presence of booth agents and then sent to the strong room. The entire process was videographed.

On April 6, when the state went to polls, commotion prevailed at Velachery after polling hours because of the incident and workers of the Congress and DMK thronged the Velachery police station seeking action against the corporation staff, who were initially assumed to be AIADMK workers.

A food delivery agent who noticed the machines being transported on two bikes confronted the riders, after one of the machines fell down on Taramani Main Road in Velachery and the issue soon escalated. Some party cadres also treated the staff to mob justice before police intervened.

UNDER STRICT WATCH: Repolling underway at DAV Public School, Velachery on Saturday