Date:26/02/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/02/26/stories/2003022605360100.htm

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

All outsiders have left: Collector

By Our Tamil Nadu Bureau

CHENNAI FEB. 25 . The Tuticorin Collector and the Superintendent of Police today confirmed to the Chief Electoral Officer of Tamil Nadu that all outsiders, "particularly political elements and their supporters", had vacated the Sattankulam Assembly constituency, in keeping with an Election Commission directive.

However, the Congress leaders, S. Balakrishnan and E.V.K.S. Elangovan, said that while the workers of their party were forced to leave the constituency, AIADMK workers and functionaries still remained in Sattankulam. "Though we were asked to move out of Tuticorin district itself, as many as eight Ministers and some ruling party MLAs and MPs are still in the constituency," Mr. Balakrishnan told reporters in Tirunelveli. Telegrams were sent to the EC.

The CEO, in a statement, said five observers were planning to tour allotted segments to supervise polling. All presiding officers and polling personnel were alerted to hand over impersonators to the police. Unauthorised vehicles would not be allowed to ply in the constituency.

All pre-poll arrangements were completed for tomorrow's byelection. Electronic voting machines and indelible ink were despatched from Sattankulam to all 173 booths in the constituency, with full police escort, today. Elaborate security arrangements were made in the constituency, with an electorate of 1,55,059, to ensure a free and fair poll.

800 police personnel for duty

Nearly 800 personnel including those from the Central and State Governments would be involved in poll duty tomorrow. The presiding officers at booths would be Central Government staff, while polling officers were drawn from various State Government departments, the returning officer, C. Velappan, said.

To check any untoward incident, 1,800 police personnel including those from the Tamil Nadu Special Police and the Swift Action Force were deployed.

Checkposts to prevent infiltration

In a bid to prevent outsiders infiltrating the constituency, 12 checkposts were set up at strategic points. Effective checking of vehicles had started, the Superintendent of Police, Sumit Sharan, said.

The entire constituency was divided into 14 mobile zones. Besides the Tuticorin Superintendent of Police, the SPs from Tirunelveli, Theni and Dindigul would monitor the overall situation.

Mr. Sharan said each zone would be manned by a DSP, armed with sufficient police personnel and a striking force equipped with a video camera to record any possible mischief. Each booth would be manned by a minimum of six police personnel. ``We are here to ensure a free and fair poll and all necessary measures have been taken in this regard.'' Those found indulging in bogus voting would be remanded immediately. Five engineers from the Bharat Electronic Limited were pressed into service to attend to any technical fault in EVMs.

Once the poll was over, all EVMs would be taken, with police protection, to the Government Polytechnic at Tuticorin, where counting would be done on March 1.