Polling Starts in TN

Chennai: Polling in the by-election to Tamil Nadu's Radhakrishnan Nagar assembly constituency which is expected to bring back Chief Minister J. Jayalalalithaa into the state assembly began here at 8 a.m. on Saturday.

Around 250,000 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise where the AIADMK general secretary's main rival is C. Mahendran of the Communist Party of India
The Election Commission has introduced a E-Netra system (Election Novel Electronic Tracking and Rapid Action System) in the constituency to observe the model code of conduct, monitor the expenditure by candidates, and redress complaints through a single window.

For the first time in India, the poll panel has introduced Electors Assistance System (EASY).

Under this, voters in Radhakrishnan Nagar can get all election details. This facility is available through email, SMS and E-Netra MobileApp.
All 230 polling stations will be covered by micro observers.

Polling for the crucial bypoll to Dr Radhakrishnan Nagar constituency, from where Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa is seeking re-election, began today at 8 AM amid tight security. Twenty eight candidates, including social activist Traffic Ramaswamy are in the fray. However, the main contest is between Jayalalithaa and CPI nominee C Mahendran. One of the smallest constituencies in Tamil Nadu, R K Nagar has 1,20,210 men voters and 1,23,014 women voters and 77 voters of the other category, the third gender, according to the Election Commission. Security personnel, including from the Central police forces, have been deployed to ensure peaceful polling across the 230 polling stations. Six static surveillance teams, 28 flying squads and 15 pickets for area domination purposes have been set up. The flying squads has Central Armed Police Forces to ensure peaceful polling process. Adequate CAPFs have been posted at each polling station in addition to the State Police forces. All the polling stations are also covered by micro observers and the entire poll proceedings is being recorded using laptops with camera and internet connectivity. A special control room has been set up in the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer to closely monitor the polling process in the polling stations. Opinion polls have been prohibited for 48 hours, commencing from 5 PM on June 25. Exit polls have also been banned between 7 am and 5.30 pm today. The byelection was necessitated after AIADMK's P Vetrivel had vacated it in May, apparently to enable Jayalalithaa seek re-election.
Jayalalithaa has to fulfil a constitutional requirement of getting elected as MLA within six months of becoming CM. She returned to the top post on May 23 after being acquitted in a wealth case. She had been convicted in the case in September last by a trial court in Bangalore

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Sandeep Saxena said the constituency has registered 13 per cent polling by 10 AM.

The polling is being held in a peaceful and brisk manner and no untoward incidents were reported. Long queues are being seen in several polling stations across Radhakrishnan Nagar. First time voters too are showing keen interest in exercising their franchise.

Shamiana pandals have been put up by the authorities in polling stations to provide shade to the voters standing in the queues under the scrotching sun

PTI