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NT Bureau
Chennai, Feb 18:

NOT WITHOUT ACTION: Police resorting to a lathicharge at Royapuram while there were reports of bogus voting (at right) at Choolaimedu as is evidenced from the number of voters allowed near a ballot box.

        Most of the booths for the election to the 67 wards of the Chennai Corporation held today wore a deserted look. The mindset of the electorate, unwilling to come out to franchise their votes, had resulted in low voter turnout.

        Major opposition parties like AIADMK and MDMK, boycotting the Corporation repolls, made the election slow- paced without any hiccups and the early morning rain too spoilsport.

        Ambedkar Government Higher Secondary School under the Zone VII (Nungambakkam), in which large-scale poll violence occurred last time, registered only six votes at around 10 am. Similarly, very low voter turnout was registered at ward 95 in Alwarpet.

        At ward 78 in Choolaimedu, booth number 1343 (women), some ballot papers were kept near the ballot box for bogus voting and later it was removed.

        BJP alleged that DMK men had tried bogus voting at ward 89 in Icehouse. Police arrested some DMK men from the Kellet Higher Secondary School booth following the complaints from Saravanan from BJP and later they were released. BJP cadres also alleged that police had intimidated them and arrested a few.

        DMDK candidate Selvam from ward 78 in Loyola College booth said that bogus voting had been going under the connivance of the officials concerned. 'The police officials have intimidated us with a pistol', he added and asked for repoll.

        In north Chennai, only young voters turned up in large numbers than others.

        Tension prevailed at ward 19 in which the PMK candidate Rajendiran reportedly along with his supporters went to cast bogus votes at Royapuram G A Road's Corporation school. The DMDK candidate Soundarapandian was reportedly attacked by the PMK cadres.

        Later, the police resorted to mild lathicharge to avoid a group clash between the two parties.

        This time, the Corporation had come out with the public address system by announcing the electorate to come out and vote without any fear since police and the officials concerned had been maintaining strict vigil.

        For each zone, two Corporation officials were assigned to appeal to the residents to exercise their franchise. The officials were seen going around in autorickshaws doing the same.