Chennai, Dec 19 (IANS) Seventy to 74 percent voting was recorded in the by-polls for two assembly seats in Tamil Nadu Saturday, officials said.
Election Commission officials said that polling was peaceful with 74 percent votes cast in Vandavasi and 70 percent in Tiruchendur.

The two seats witnessed a three-cornered contest between the DMK, the AIADMK and the DMDK.

As the commission decided to match the images of the voters captured on web cameras installed in the polling booths with those stored in its servers, the polling process took some extra time and ended only at 5 p.m.

The fate of 39 contestants will be decided Dec 23 when counting takes place.

There was some tension when AIADMK cadres asked DMK men from outside Vandavasi to go out of the town as per the Election Commission’s direction.

The AIADMK had boycotted the last by-elections in August and party chief Jayalalithaa asked the Election Commission to declare the DMK candidates as winners without holding the polls.

Though charges of bribing the voters with cash, liquor, dhotis, saris and even mobile phone recharge coupons flew thick and fast, Chief Electoral Officer Naresh Gupta said it is difficult to verify the allegations.