Complaints by voters about delay in commencing the poll process due to technical snags in EVMs have came in from various parts but it did not affect the poll process in which 1.47 lakh security personnel kept an eagle-eyed vigil.
The voter enthusiasm was evident in almost all the constituencies as people queued up before polling stations including at the bypoll bound Alandur Assembly segment, as the brisk pace was maintained through the day.
The elections have turned out to be an acid test for arch rivals AIADMK and DMK, besides show of strength for the BJP-led NDA combination.
Congress, shorn of allies in the wake of DMK spurning its offer for a prepoll pact, contested from all 39 seats while the two Left parties, dumped by AIADMK over seat-sharing wrangle at the last minute, fielded nominees in 18 constituencies overall.
Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa had undertaken a gruelling campaign to ensure victory of her party candidates in all the 40 constituencies, including Puducherry, to realise her dream of playing a prominent role at the national polity post-elections.
Setting aside a host of problems, including the sibling war, DMK headed by the nonagenarian M Karunanidhi, has strained every nerve to check the winning streak of AIADMK and win the confidence of the electorate with just two years left for the 2016 Assembly polls.
In the 2009 general elections, DMK in alliance with Congress had won 18 seats while the latter got eight. AIADMK netted nine while MDMK, CPI, CPI-M and VCK won one each.
In Alandur Assembly constituency in Chennai, where a bypoll was held, about 65 per cent of voters of the 3.13 lakh electorate cast their votes.
The city witnessed a minor clash between AIADMK and DMK men in a booth in Central Chennai constituency towards close of polling, police said.
Electoral authorities forced five companies, found functioning in an IT park in Chennai violating its directive to declare a holiday, to close down and lodged a complaint with the police against them.
Technical glitches in Electronic Voting Machines held up polling briefly in several polling booths across the state, according to reports received here.
A report from Madurai, quoting officials, said an average 70 per cent of votes were cast in the southern districts, and the polling was peaceful barring the two incidents.
As usual, there were boycotts by groups of voters in some places protesting against local issues.
More than 2,500 voters in and around Nanjanad village in Nilgiris (SC) constituency, boycotted the polls protesting government apathy to solve the long-pending issue of performing pooja at a Shiva Temple. In Puducherry, Chief Electoral Officer T Srikanth said polling was peaceful except for a few minor incidents. Yanam region came out with an impressive 89 per cent turnout.
