Brisk polling despite boycott call in Tamil Nadu by-polls

August 21st, 2009 CHENNAI - Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK-Congress combine Friday bagged all the five seats for which by-elections were held Aug 18. While DMK added Bargur, Cumbum and Illayangudi constituencies to its tally, the Congress candidates won the Tondamuthur and Srivaikundam seats.

August 18th, 2009 CHENNAI - A high turnout was recorded in the bypolls to the five assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu Tuesday, officials said. Despite a boycott call by major political parties, polling got off to a brisk start in the five constituencies - Bargur, Tondamuthur, Cumbum, Illayangudi and Srivaikundam - in the morning.

August 17th, 2009 CHENNAI - The by-polls to five Tamil Nadu assembly seats Tuesday will be recorded on a web camera, a poll panel official said Monday. Speaking to IANS the state's Chief Electoral Officer Naresh Gupta said: "Trial run for recording of the polling process live is over.

July 27th, 2009 CHENNAI - The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Monday announced its candidates for the forthcoming by-elections for five assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu that is now set to be a four-cornered fight with the DMDK deciding to contest on its own. Actor-turned-politician Vijaykanth's DMDK had Sunday announced it decision the fight the polls alone and had named its candidates.

July 27th, 2009 CHENNAI - The forthcoming by-elections for five assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu is set to be a four-cornered fight with the DMDK deciding to contest on its own. Now the state's ruling DMK-Congress combine will cross swords with the DMDK, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the two Communist parties -- Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and the Communist Party of India (CPI).

July 23rd, 2009 CHENNAI - With major opposition parties ranged against electronic voting machines (EVM), the Election Commission has decided to buy new machines for the five Tamil Nadu by-elections slated for Aug 18. Speaking to reporters here Thursday, Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Naresh Gupta said: "The new machines will have advanced features like reading time wise polling and the number of votes polled at a particular time." He said the new machines were needed as the existing machines were nearly 15 years old.

July 22nd, 2009 CHENNAI - The Communist parties will announce Thursday whether they will support AIADMK's decision to boycott by-polls in Tamil Nadu, party sources said Wednesday. On July 20, the AIADMK and the MDMK decided to boycott the by-elections in five assembly constituencies Aug 18, alleging that the polls would not be held in a free and fair manner.

May 16th, 2009 CHENNAI - The counting of votes cast for the 15th Lok Sabha polls began at 8 a.m. Saturday in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

May 13th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The fifth and final round of balloting which brings the curtain down on the Lok Sabha elections began Wednesday morning in 86 constituencies spread over seven states and two union territories. A total of 1,432 candidates are in the fray in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Chandigarh and Puducherry.

May 13th, 2009 CHENNAI/PUDUCHERRY - Thirty-six percent voters exercised their franchise in 39 Tamil Nadu constituencies until 1 p.m. Wednesday while in neighbouring union territory of Puducherry the turnout crossed the half way mark by 2 p.m.

May 13th, 2009 CHENNAI - Polling was underway Wednesday in all 39 parliamentary constituencies of Tamil Nadu and the lone seat of union territory Puducherry in the fifth and the final phase of the general elections. Most voting stations opened at 7 a.m.

May 13th, 2009 CHENNAI - Brisk polling was witnessed in the first four hours in 39 parliamentary constituencies of Tamil Nadu and the lone seat in the union territory of Puducherry where general elections were underway Wednesday. Most voting stations opened at 7 a.m.

May 13th, 2009 CHENNAI - All 39 parliamentary constituency of Tamil Nadu and the lone seat of union territory Puducherry went to the polls Wednesday in the fifth and the final phase of the general elections. Voting stations opened at 7 a.m.

May 12th, 2009 CHENNAI - Over 16,000 people were arrested in Tamil Nadu on the eve of the final phase of Lok Sabha polls to ensure peaceful voting in the state, police said Tuesday. 'Warrants were pending against most of the arrested 16,000 persons,' a police statement said.

April 16th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Congress Thursday nominated Home Minister P. Chidambaram and Panchayati Raj Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar to contest the Lok Sabha election from Sivaganga and Mayiladuthurai in Tamil Nadu respectively as it released its list of candidates for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.