Voting in parts of Madurai and Dindigul districts faced disruptions on Thursday due to malfunctioning Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and sporadic clashes, prompting police intervention at multiple locations.
Incident in Madurai
In Madurai, a head constable was injured after being attacked by a colleague during poll duty. The officer, identified as Vijay, 45, attached to the highway patrol unit of Anna Nagar police station, was on duty near the Chintamani tollgate along with constable Veerayya and armed reserve constable Prabhu, 39. According to police, Veerayya briefly stepped out to a nearby hospital when Prabhu sought permission to leave to cast his vote. Vijay instructed him to obtain clearance from the control room, following which Prabhu allegedly abused him and attacked him with a stone, causing injuries. Silaiman police have registered a case against Prabhu and initiated an investigation.
Delays in Dindigul
In Dindigul district, polling was delayed by nearly 90 minutes at a booth in Vadamadurai town panchayat (Part 290) in Vedasandur constituency due to an EVM malfunction. At another polling station (No. 291) in Moonjikal, Kodaikanal, officials reportedly allowed voters to cast their votes before the machine was unsealed. The issue came to light when votes were found not to have been recorded, leading to a brief commotion. The machine was subsequently unsealed and activated about 15 minutes later, after which polling resumed.
EVM Issues in Madurai
In Madurai, two EVMs malfunctioned at a cluster polling centre in Sourashtra Boys Higher Secondary School, causing a delay of approximately 30 minutes before they were rectified. Tensions also flared at a few locations. AIADMK and BJP cadres staged a roadblock on Kamarajar Salai in Madurai South, alleging canvassing by DMK and TVK members near polling booths.
Clashes in Dindigul
In Dindigul, a scuffle broke out between AIADMK members and voters at booths 178 and 179 in Pallapatti union, leading to a brief suspension of polling. Voting resumed after police intervened and restored order.
