Chennai/Puducherry: In a record turnout, 73 per cent of the 5.50 crore electorate in Tamil Nadu cast their votes in 39 Lok Sabha constituencies in the single-phase voting on Thursday which passed off by and large peacefully.
The voting percentage of 73 per cent is marginally higher compared to 72.98 per cent polled in the 2009 elections.
The neighbouring union territory of Puducherry also witnessed a record turnout of 83 per cent of 8.85 lakh electorate casting their votes for the lone seat as against the 79.85 per cent in 2009 elections.
Minister of State in PMO V Narayanasamy is waging an herculean battle in a field of 30 candidates for his second successive win in Puducherry, amid challenge thrown by ruling AINRC and PMK.
The poll process which remained largely trouble-fee, however, was marred by a clash between AIADMK and DMK workers in Tenkasi over alleged attempt to influence voters by a Panchayat chief which left six persons injured.
In Madurai, three persons were injured when police made a lathicharge to disperse two groups of AIADMK and DMK men who clashed at a polling booth in Sikkandhar Chavadi locality.
The poll fortunes of 845 candidates, including DMK's A Raja (Nilgiris) and Dayanidhi Maran (Central Chennai), P Chidambaram's son Karti (Sivaganga), another Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar(Mayiladuthurai), BJP state president Pon Radhakrishnan and AAP leader and anti-nuclear activist SP Udhaya Kumar (both Kanyakumari) were sealed in the Electronic Voting Machines.
All the EVMs have been moved to respective strong rooms where those will be kept till May 16, the counting day.
Complaints by voters about delay in commencing the poll process due to technical snags in EVMs have came in from various parts but it did not affect the poll process in which 1.47 lakh security personnel kept an eagle-eyed vigil.
The voter enthusiasm was evident in almost all the constituencies as people queued up before polling stations including at the bypoll bound Alandur Assembly segment, as the brisk pace was maintained through the day.
The elections have turned out to be an acid test for arch rivals AIADMK and DMK, besides show of strength for the BJP-led NDA combination.
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