Madurantakam, Dharapuram bypolls see high voter turnout amid minor glitches
Polling for the Assembly by-elections in Madurantakam in Chengalpattu district and Dharapuram in Tiruppur district concluded peacefully on Tuesday, October 6, with officials reporting only minor technical interruptions.
Madurantakam recorded 86.26% voter participation, according to the available figures. The turnout, however, was below the 93.22% recorded by the constituency during the Assembly election earlier this year.
The bypoll in Madurantakam was triggered by the resignation of Maragatham Kumaravel. She had won the seat on an AIADMK ticket in the Assembly election before moving to the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), which has now fielded her in the by-election.
Figures released by the Election Commission at 3 pm put polling at 83.86% in Madurantakam and 78.53% in Dharapuram.
Election officials said voters continued to arrive at polling stations throughout the day, with people from different age groups turning up steadily. A handful of EVM and VVPAT-related issues caused brief interruptions, but officials and technical teams resolved them promptly.
One such incident was reported at the Thandarai polling station in Madurantakam. DMK polling agents objected after alleging that an indelible ink mark had been placed on the EVM button adjacent to the TVK candidate’s Whistle symbol. They claimed the marking could influence voters. Election personnel examined the machine and addressed the complaint before voting resumed.
Another dispute emerged at the Vilvarayanallur polling station, where DMK workers alleged that TVK supporters were positioned too close to the booth entrance, contrary to the prescribed distance under election rules. Officials were alerted to the complaint.
Some booths also experienced brief delays during the mandatory mock-poll process because of minor equipment or connectivity problems. Standby engineers attended to the issues before regular voting gathered pace.
Despite the isolated disruptions, voter participation picked up considerably as the day progressed. Long queues, particularly of women voters, were seen outside several polling stations across the rural and semi-urban areas.