Row over voters carrying mobile phones into booths

CHENNAI: Commotion prevailed at a polling station in Chennai after police personnel prevented voters from taking their phones to the booth.

When Chief Minister MK Stalin and his wife Durga reached the SIET college polling station in Alwarpet to cast their votes, the police personnel who were deployed for the chief minister’s security prevented voters from carrying their phones to the booth.

Subsequently, the voters engaged in an argument with the police personnel and later, when the chief minister and his wife left the venue, the voters were allowed to carry their phones with them.

Due to a technical glitch, polling at Padma Sarangapani Matriculation Higher Secondary School station, located in Virugambakkam area of Chennai South Lok Sabha constituency began at 9 am instead of 7 am.

“EVMs at booth number 34 and 35, were not functioning on time due to battery problems. Immediately, we replaced the EVMs in the two booths and the polling started by 9 am, “said a polling station officer, preferring anonymity.

However, the voters who were waiting at the polling station claimed that there are many irregularities in the Padma Sarangapani school polling station.

“The names of many voters who have been living in the area for many years are missing from the electoral roll. We have been waiting since 7 am. When we asked the polling officers, no one gave a proper response. Half of them were returned home without casting their vote, “said S Raghavan, a voter from Virugambakkam.

In a similar incident, a senior citizen who visited the Chennai Higher Secondary School polling station in Thiruvanmiyur to cast his vote appealed to the Greater