Common items are ‘preferred’ symbols

All the logistics required for the polling booths, including ramps and drinking water have been arranged and the live monitoring of select polling booths will be taken at the State Election Commission headquarters, the official said. The government staff to remote areas in hill regions of Ooty, Kodaikanal, Salem, Coimbatore have been asked to report for duty well in advance and the arrangements to move the ballot papers to the strong room are also in place.

Review meeting to discuss the second phase of polling on Monday and the arrangements to count the votes on January 2 had also been scheduled, the official said.

Commenting on the printed ballot papers, the official said, as usual, pressure cooker, lock and key, cloth bag, autorickshaw, candle, gas cylinder continued to be the most sought-after free symbols in the local body polls. More than 45,000 local body posts at gram panchayats are to be filled during the first phase of polling on Friday, the official said.

A total of 49,688 polling booths are ready and the voters can call 1800 425 7072 and 1800 425 7073 for poll-related complaints. Ballot voting system will be followed in grama panchayat elections and four types of coloured ballot papers have been dispatched to all polling booths, the official added.

Meanwhile, tension prevailed in Vandavasi in Tiruvannamalai district after the police squad rushed to a village where cash for votes complaint was reported. The miscreants threw the currency and ran away after seeing flying squads and a report in this regard is awaited, poll officials said adding there were also heated exchange of words between the DMK and AIADMK in Tiruvallur over campaigning for votes during the campaign restricted period.

In Chennai, the AIADMK and DMK MLAs who are designated to monitor the polling activities in Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur by the party leaders had closed-door meetings with party workers. “Reaching out to every voter and facilitating the public to cast their votes were discussed and we are confident of winning the elections in Tiruvallur region,” said C Sridhar, an advocate associated with the AIADMK.