Repolling for Tamil Nadu urban local body polls underway in five wards

After the AIADMK complained of violence by DMK workers, repolling for urban local body elections in Tamil Nadu is underway in seven polling booths spread over five wards in Madurai's Thirumangalam.

Madurai (Tamil Nadu): Repolling for urban local body elections in Tamil Nadu is underway in seven polling booths spread over five wards in Madurai's Thirumangalam. This comes after the AIADMK complained of violence by DMK workers in these wards during the urban local body polls held on February 19.

The voting began at 7 am today and will end at 6 pm. The candidates complained that most of the polling stations in the 17th ward were rigged in Madurai's Tirumangalam.

Returning officer Terence Lyon, who investigated the complaint, had ordered a re-poll. Notably, the voting for the urban local body elections was held in a single phase. In October 2016, the elections were scheduled but were postponed in the wake of the Madras High Court's direction. Subsequently, a host of developments, political and administrative, further delayed the polls.

Earlier on Saturday, the BJP Madurai president Saravanan submitted a petition to the district collector seeking re-election in more than 15 wards of Madurai corporation alleging that the DMK workers had cast fake votes in these booths.