BJP, AIADMK Protest Alleged Booth Capturing by DMK in Chennai, Demand Repoll

Tension prevailed at a polling booth in Alwarpet, Chennai on Thursday as BJP and AIADMK cadres staged a protest alleging that DMK workers had engaged in booth capturing during the ongoing 2024 General Elections. The protesters, led by BJP vice-president Karu Nagarajan and AIADMK candidate Jayavardhan, demanded a repoll at the ICDS Centre booth in Ganapathy Colony.

According to the protesters, DMK cadres sent out agents of other political parties and resorted to voter intimidation and coercion around 5:45 pm when over 100 voters were still in the queue. They claimed this compromised the integrity of the voting procedure at the booth.

The protest led to heated arguments between the cadres and police and election officials at the scene. BJP and AIADMK leaders insisted that a repoll was necessary to ensure free and fair voting.

Why this matters: The allegations of booth capturing and voter intimidation raise serious concerns about the conduct of the high-stakes 2024 General Elections. Ensuring the integrity of the electoral process is vital for upholding democratic principles and maintaining public trust in the election results.

The issue was eventually resolved after election officers and police personnel assured the protesters that action would be taken on their complaint. "We have received the complaint and will investigate the matter thoroughly," said a senior election official at the scene. The situation at the polling booth later returned to normalcy.

Key Takeaways

• BJP, AIADMK protest alleged DMK booth capturing in Chennai polling booth
• Protesters claim DMK cadres intimidated voters, compromising voting integrity
• Heated arguments between cadres, police, and election officials at the scene
• Protesters demand repoll to ensure free and fair voting
• Election officials assure investigation into the complaint, situation returns to normal