The Tamil Nadu State Election Commission (TNSEC) has ordered a re-poll in seven booths in five wards. Two of the wards are in the Greater Chennai Corporation. The re-poll will be held on February 21, a day before the counting of votes, the TNSEC said in a release.
Polling will begin at 7 a.m. and end at 6 p.m., the last hour — 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. — set aside for COVID-19 patients.
The repoll has been ordered in booth 1174 AV in Ward 51 at Washermanpet and booth 5059 AV in Ward 179 at Odai Kuppam, Besant Nagar, Chennai; booth 17W in Ward 17 in the Tirumangalam municipality; booth 16 M and booth 16 W in Ward 16 in the Jayankondam municipality; and booth 57 M and booth 57 W in Ward 25 in the Tiruvannamalai municipality.
The State registered a voter turnout of 60.70%, with town panchayats recording the highest polling of 74.68%, followed by the municipalities with 68.22% and the Corporations with 52.22%. Chennai recorded the lowest of 43.59%. Only one other Corporation, Chengalpattu, recorded less than 50%, at 49.98%.
Over 57,700 candidates are contesting in 21 municipal corporations, 138 municipalities and 489 town panchayats. The EVMs were shifted to strong rooms at 268 counting centres across the State on Saturday night on completion of polling.
The counting centres have been provided with three-tier security and CCTV camera monitoring. More than one lakh police personnel have been deployed for security.
A total of 228 candidates have been declared elected unopposed. There was no candidate in one ward of a town panchayat.
