Counting for TN urban polls underway, high security in place

The counting of votes for the urban local body elections held on February 19 was underway in 268 counting centres across the state on Tuesday. High security is in place at all the counting centres following the recent violence during the election.

Strong police teams led by the respective District Superintendents are in charge of all the districts. The security at each counting centre is managed by a Deputy Superintendent level officer with a strong police force drawn from the Tamil Nadu local police, Tamil Nadu Special police and also policemen drawn from the police camps.

There have been clashes between the DMK and AIADMK workers in some parts, including the state capital Chennai. AIADMK leader and former minister, D.Jayakumar who had caught an imposter aligned with the ruling party, and paraded wearing only pants, was arrested by the DMK on Monday late evening.

In Madurai, a BJP worker was arrested after he created major issues in a booth asking for the removal of hijab from the head of a Muslim woman who had reached the spot.

In Chennai, the counting of votes for all the 200 wards has begun at 15 counting centres in the Greater Chennai Corporation. The lead trends and results will be announced through a microphone. IAS officers have been given the charge of counting centres.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin after casting his vote in Chennai had expressed hope that the DMK-led front would sweep the urban local body polls.

AIADMK leader and former Chief Minister K. Palaniswami had said that the people of the state would give a fitting lesson to the DMK for its failure in administration and for providing false hopes to the people of the state.

BJP state president K. Annamalai said that the BJP-led front would win several seats in the election and the anti-people policies of the government had estranged the public from that party.