CHENNAI: That people in semi-urban and rural areas actively participate in grassroots democracy than their urban counterparts was on display during the second phase of elections for local bodies on Wednesday when 65 municipalities, 270 town panchayats and 194 panchayat unions in Tamil Nadu went to polls. As much as 80.47 per cent of voters exercised their franchise in the second phase, compared to 77 per cent in the first phase held on Monday.In the second phase, the voting percentage in urban local bodies was 76 per cent, while it was 78 per cent in town panchayats and 82 per cent in village panchayats.In the northern suburbs of Chennai, it was more like a carnival as women, including a large number of home makers, lined up to cast their votes with a ‘must do’ urge due to the familiarity of candidates. Many, who commute for work to Chennai daily, took leave to vote as the offices in the city did not declare a holiday.In the southern suburbs, canvassing was on until the eleventh hour as campaigners and candidates lined up on roads and greeted voters going to booths.Outside a booth at Tambaram municipality, DMK men assaulted the 23-year-old son of a State Minister’s PA, after a skirmish inside the booth over last minute campaigning. Transgender candidate of the DMDK, R Rajeswari, made charges of cadre in dhotis with party colours entering the booths.Booth agents staged a walk out at a venue in Thiruneermalai panchayat union after objection that poll officials allowed some persons, who were no more residents of the ward, to vote because their names were in the list.There were also stray incidents of violence and tearing of ballot papers outside Chennai.
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