Voting Begins For Erode East By-Poll Amid Heavy Security, DMK Faces NTK In Key Battle

Tension prevailed at a polling station in Veerappanchatiram during the byelection for the Erode (East) Assembly constituency on Wednesday when Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) cadre alleged that the DMK had brought in outsiders to cast fake votes.

In turn, DMK supporters accused NTK members of being from other constituencies and raised slogans demanding their removal from the polling booth. This situation led to a gathering of NTK members on the road. NTK also claimed that DMK supporters were voting using only a booth slip and one of the 12 permitted documents instead of the required Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC), suggesting that they were involved in irregularities.

As tensions escalated, an altercation broke out between the cadres, prompting police intervention. Police urged them to disperse, and over 100 police personnel, led by Superintendent of Police G. Jawahar, pacified them. Normalcy was restored after 30 minutes. However, polling was not disrupted during the incident.