TN, Kerala and Puducherry to go to polls tomorrow to elect new assemblies
15 May, New Delhi
Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry will go to polls tomorrow to elect new assemblies. Voters can exercise their franchise between 0700 hrs and 1800 hrs.
In Tamil Nadu, polling will be held for 233 out of a total 234 seats as Election Commission last night postponed voting for Aravakurichi constituency to May 23 over bribery concern. Over 5.82 crore voters would decide the fate of 3,776 candidates, including 320 women. Prominent among them are J Jayalalithaa of AIADMK, M Karunanidhi and MK Stalin of DMK, Vijayakant of DMDK, Anbumani Ramadoss of PMK and BJP state unit chief Tamizhisai Soundararajan.
Perhaps for the first time, Tamil Nadu would witness a six-cornered contest between ruling AIADMK, DMK, DMDK-led People’s Welfare Front (PWF), BJP-led front, PMK and Naam Tamizhar party of actor-director Seeman. AIADMK is the only party contesting in all 233 seats while BJP is contesting 188, DMK 180, Bahujan Samaj Party 158 and Congress 41 seats. To ensure free and fair polls, Election Commission has deployed over 23,000 Central Police Force personnel.
In Kerala, 2.61 crore voters will decide the fate of 1,203 candidates, including 109 women. The state is likely to witness a triangular contest between Congress-led UDF, CPI(M)-led LDF and the BJP-led NDA. BJP has fielded the largest number of 98 candidates, followed by Congress 87, CPI(M) 85 and the BSP 74.
Election Commission has made elaborate arrangement for the smooth conduct of polls. It has deployed more than 52,000 police personnel, including 120 companies of central para military forces. Additional security measures have been taken at 1,200 booths identified as sensitive.The commission has also deployed 47 general observers, 14 police observers and four expenditure observers for strict supervision and monitoring of the poll process. For the first time, new VVPAT (Voters Verifiable Paper Audit Trial) voting machines that will show printouts to voters confirming the name and symbol of candidate to whom they have voted have also been installed at a few selected booths.
The printed slip cannot be taken and will fall inside a ballot box after being visible to the voter for seven seconds. In Puducherry, 344 candidates including 19 women and a transgender are in the fray for 30 assembly seats. The Union Territory is likely to witness a multi-cornered contest this time with almost all political parties fighting the election alone. While AIADMK and BJP are contesting all 30 seats, People’s Welfare Alliance 28 and Congress 21 seats.
Voting will also take place tomorrow for by-polls to two assembly seats of Bilari and Jangipur in Uttar Pradesh, two assembly constituencies in Panki and Godda in Jharkhand and Tura Lok Sabha seat in Meghalaya. Counting for all four states, including Assam and West Bengal and one Union Territory and the bypolls will take place on May 19.