Bogus voting rampant, charges BJP
The police picked up one of the suspected bogus voters 'caught' by the BJP men
By : v. palaniappan
Update: 2014-09-19 05:02 GMT
Coimbatore: After charges of cash for votes, it was allegations of bogus voting on the polling day in Coimbatore. Around 8.30 am, tension gripped polling booth No. 5 at Thudiyalur when BJP's mayoral candidate R.Nandakumar came to vote.He picked up an argument with the poll officials over the large presence of AIADMK men in front of the booth, leading to a fierce argument. However, the police stepped in and cleared the AIADMK men from the area. The BJP candidate charged that there was largescale bogus voting.
About three hours later, fresh trouble brewed at polling station No. 32 in Kauvandampalayam where BJP men claimed that they had caught a few bogus voters red-handed.Fierce arguments broke out between the BJP and AIADMK cadres. However Thudiyalur police inspector Saravanan and his team rushed to the spot cleared the crowd and picked up one of the suspected bogus voters 'caught' by the BJP men. But the police are yet to register a case or arrest the accused.
In another incident in New Sidhapudhur, CPM members staged a protest alleging that ruling party members had rigged the booth at New Sidhapudhur. Hundreds of police personnel were deployed in front of the polling centre in Sidhapudhur and the protestors were cleared. BJP functionaries alleged that there was large scale bogus voting in Kurichi, Karumbukadai and Saibaba colony polling booths.
However, district superintendent of police M. Sudhakar said 600 police personnel were deployed on the outskirts of the city and the polls went off smoothly without any tension. There was no violence or any arrest made for bogus voting, he said.