85.5% turnout during repolling in RK Nagar constituency

CHENNAI: Repolling at a booth in R K Nagar constituency concluded on Monday evening with 85.5% voter turnout and without any untoward incident.
The Election Commission ordered repoll at the polling booth (no 181) at Chennai Girl’s Higher Secondary School Thiruvotriyur after an EC observer reported that the presiding officer had allowed some people, who were “not duly enrolled on the electoral roll,” to cast vote on Saturday when the polling for the assembly byelection was taking place.
Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa, CPI candidate C Mahendran and activist K R ‘Traffic’ Ramaswamy were the main candidates in the R K Nagar constituency. The bypoll was necessitated by the resignation of AIADMK MLA P Vetrivel after the Karnataka high court acquitted Jayalalithaa in a disproportionate assets case.
Mahendran, who visited the booth where repolling was taking place, urged the Election Commission to introduce a biometric system in polls to prevent bogus voting.
Mahendran said, "Booth capturing was reported at more than 50 booths. Ruling AIADMK party men threatened our polling agents [when polling for the byelection was taking place] on Saturday.”
“An additional 30 votes were polled in this booth, from the actual number of 332 voters. This is a proof of widespread malpractices. They are making mockery of democracy,” he said.
He alleged that the Election commission had failed to ensure a fair election in the constituency.
Mahendran said the Election Commission should review CCTV footage to check malpractices at all booths.
Counting of votes will be held on Tuesday.