Vikravandi bypoll | Nearly 13% voting registered as of 9 a.m.

Vikravandi by-election sees high voter turnout and smooth polling process with 29 candidates in the fray.

Polling for the by-election to Vikravandi Assembly segment in Villupuram district began on a positive note at 7 a.m. on July 10, with voters turning out in huge numbers.

A mock poll was held for an hour, beginning at 5.30 a.m., and polling began at 7 a.m. No untoward incident has been reported so far, though malfunctioning of EVMs was reported from Mambalapattu, Ottan Kaaduvetti and Karungalipattu. The malfunctions delayed voting by around 30 minutes.

.As per official estimates, as many as 30,667 persons or 12.94 % of the total electorate cast their votes in the first two hours after polling began.

The authorities have set up web-casting facilities in all 276 booths in the Assembly segment to monitor the proceedings from a control room.

The by-poll was necessitated by the death of DMK legislator N. Pugazhenthi on April 6. 

A total of 29 candidates are in the fray. While the ruling DMK has fielded Anniyur Siva, the PMK has fielded C. Anbumani who unsuccessfully contested from the seat in the 2016 elections. The Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) has fielded Abinaya Ponnivalavan. The AIADMK has boycotted the polls.

Among the candidates, Mr. Siva was the first to cast his vote at a polling booth in Anniyur at 7.10 a.m. PMK candidate Mr. Anbumani cast his vote at a polling booth at Panayapuram.