This Article is From Mar 18, 2012

Tamil Nadu: Brisk polling in Sankarankoil assembly segment

Tamil Nadu: Brisk polling in Sankarankoil assembly segment
Sankarankoil: Polling for bye-election to this Assembly constituency began today on a brisk note with more than 35 per cent of the voters exercising their franchise by 12 noon, officials said.

Central forces have been deployed in all the sensitive booths, and tight security arrangements made to ensure peaceful polling.

Early trends indicated that polling percentage could exceed 80 per cent, an official said.

Campaigning for the bypoll, which is witnessing a four- cornered contest, came to an end on March 16.

Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa undertook a whirlwind tour of the constituency to garner support for her party nominee S Muthuselvi. Besides the ruling party, its arch-rival DMK, former ally DMDK, headed by actor Vijaykanth, and Vaiko's MDMK are in the fray.

DMK chief M Karunanidhi, his two sons - M K Stalin and M K Alagiri -besides senior party leaders campaigned for the party candidate Jawahar Suryakumar.

This is the second bypoll after AIADMK won a landslide in the assembly elections last year. The ruling party had earlier retained the Tiruchirappalli West Assembly seat.

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