Polling Officer Asks Woman To Vote For TVK’s ‘Whistle’ Symbol, Removed

Polling Officer Asks Woman To Vote For TVK's 'Whistle' Symbol, Removed

Polling was briefly halted at a booth near Dharapuram in Tirupur district after an election officer allegedly instructed an elderly woman voter to cast her vote for the ‘whistle’ symbol, sparking intense protests from political party agents and locals.

Polling was briefly halted at a booth near Dharapuram in Tirupur district after an election officer allegedly instructed an elderly woman voter to cast her vote for the ‘whistle’ symbol

The incident occurred at a polling booth in the Kolinjivadi area. The commotion briefly disrupted the polling process until Dharapuram police intervened and pacified the agitating crowds. Following an investigation into the complaint, the Election Commission ordered the immediate removal of Thangamani and appointed Rajammal as the new election officer for the station. Voting resumed under the supervision of the new officer after being disrupted for nearly an hour. Over a hundred police personnel were deployed at the site to maintain order and prevent further untoward incidents. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The official, identified as Thangamani, allegedly directed the voter to press the whistle symbol assigned to Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), according to reports.