PUDUCHERRY: An estimated 83.47 per cent of voters exercised their franchise in the Indira Nagar assembly by-election, which was largely peaceful barring minor incidents outside a booth here on Thursday.Brisk polling was witnessed in all the 27 booths of the Constituency since the morning. Voters were seen standing in long queues to caste their votes.As per official estimates available on Thursday evening, 24210 people (11583 men, 12672 women) out of a total of 29005 exercised their franchise. The polling began in a good atmosphere with people turning up in good numbers even before it began. Polling began at 8 am and nearly 20.83 per cent of the population had cast their votes by 10 am. By noon the percentage had touched 42.33 per cent and according to official estimates, when polling concluded at 5 pm, a total of 83.47 per cent was registered.Booth numbers 8 and 8A at the Ilango Adigal Higher Secondary School at Muthiraiyarpalayam witnessed the maximum of 91 per cent while the booth at the Kendriya Vidyalaya in JIPMER campus registered the lowest with 66 per cent turnout.District Election Officer (DEO) Dr S B Deepak Kumar said the polling went off peacefully without any incidents of violence. He claimed that there were no complaints from any quarters about the elections.When asked about the allegations of bogus voting by AIADMK, he said it was not possible as the whole proceedings inside each booth were recorded using web cameras.When queried about the violations of model code, he said four cases, including the seizure of cash of `49,000 and `25,500 in two separate incidents, were registered on Wednesday. The Indira Nagar Constituency registered a total polling percentage of 83.14 per cent in the April 13 assembly constituency, which was won by All India Namathu Rajyam Congress (AINRC). The CM, who won from two constituencies, resigned the Indira Nagar seat necessitating the by-election. Incidentally, Chif minister N Rangasamy who resides in Thelaspet,exercised his franchise at around 11 am. AINRC’s A Tamil Selvan, Congress candidate A Arumugham and AIADMK’s Suttukeni Basakaran are the main candidates in fray. The counting of votes for the by-poll would held on October 17.
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