Polling begins in TN's Vellore Lok Sabha constituency

Polling began on Monday in Tamil Nadu's Vellore Lok Sabha constituency to decide the electoral fate of 28 candidates, said the Election Commission.

The main fight is between the ruling AIADMK's A.C. Shanmugam and the DMK's D.M. Kathir Anand. The NMK led by Seeman has also fielded Deepalakshmi as its candidate.

The Vellore seat comprises six Assembly segments -- Vellore, Anaikattu, Kilvaithinankuppam, Gudiyattam, Vaniyambadi and Ambur. There are over 1,400 polling booths.

The election to the seat, originally scheduled for April 18, was postponed after Rs 10 crore cash was seized from DMK leaders in Vellore district. Three months later, this became the central point of the AIADMK's campaign targeting the DMK.

The absence of progress in these cases has increased the voters' apathy in the elections as well as the EC's.

While rescinding the poll, the EC had said that it was "fully satisfied" that the electoral process in Vellore had been vitiated on account of unlawful activities on behalf of DMK candidate Kathir Anand and some of its workers.

The DMK-led front won 37 of the 38 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu, polling for which was held on April 18.

The AIADMK campaign for Vellore was led by Coordinator and Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam and Joint Coordinator and Chief Minister E.K. Palaniswami.

On the other hand, DMK President M.K. Stalin led the campaign for party candidate Anand.