7.20 p.m.: Record 74.4 per cent turnout in R.K. Nagar, which had witnessed 72.72 per cent voting in the 2011 Assembly elections. >Read more
5.25 p.m.: 71 per cent turnout in R.K. Nagar Assembly constituency, according to provisional data.
5 p.m . Poll turnout set to cross that of last elections. Turnout is 67.61 per cent so far. Long queues at many polling stations continues. Last elections registered a turnout of 71 pe rcent.
4 p.m.: 65 per cent polling recorded in R.K. Nagar Assembly Constituency. One hour remaining for end of poll.
Turnout continues to be heavy. Royapuram children's home polling station at 3 p.m
According to Tamil Nadu Chief Election Officer, about 53.1 per cent votes have been polled till 2 p.m.
Turnout touches 52 percent at 2 p.m. in RK Nagar Assembly Constituency
12.20 p.m.: CPI candidate C. Mahendran talks to media, claims conditions are favourable for booth capturing.
CPI candidate C. Mahendran. Photo: The Hindu
Watch video: Voting underway in RK Nagar, Jayalalithaa in fray for re-election as MLA
12.15 p.m.: Polling stations in many neighbourhoods of Thiruvottiyur High Road report high turnout.
12.00 p.m.: Persons with disability unable to vote because of crowding in many polling stations. Officials prevent pregnant women, persons with disability and senior citizens from forming a separate queue
11.50 a.m.: CPI candidate C. Mahendran visits polling stations in Korrukupet, claims conditions are favourable for booth capturing in many of the 230 booths in RK Nagar Assembly Constituency.
10.35 a.m.: Altercation between Ramaswamy's team and AIADMK councillor Anju Lakshmi at ward 49. Police and election officials arrive and separate them.
Mr. "Traffic" Ramaswamy. Photo: Petlee Peter
10.30 a.m: Tension between "Traffic" Ramaswamy and AIADMK party personnel at Tondiarpet outside booth 160.
10.15 a.m.: 13 per cent polling in RK Nagar by 10 a.m., according to election officials.
10.00 a.m.: More images from across the polling booths.
Long queues and a lot of crowd marks this polling booth in Royapuram. Photos: Petlee Peter
9.40 a.m.: One of the smallest constituencies in Tamil Nadu, R. K. Nagar has 1,20,210 men voters and 1,23,014 women voters and 77 voters of the third gender, according to the Election Commission. >Read more
9.30. a.m.: Heavy turnout in most of the polling stations in RK Nagar Assembly Constituency. Average turnout in most of the stations estimated to be around 17 percent by 9.30 a.m, reports >Aloysius Xavier Lopez
9.10 a.m.: Images from poll booths across R.K. Nagar are coming in.
Voters queue up at the Korukkupet poll booth to cast their vote. Photo: S.R. Raghunathan
9.00 a.m.: There are rumours that AIADMK party cadres are distributing cash to voters. Police begin checks in Kodungaiyur, Royapuram and Kasimedu areas, reports >Petlee Peter .
8.40 a.m.: 450 city police personal led by Commissioner S. George on patrol to avoid any untoward incidents.
Seen here is the Comissioner of Police S. George inspecting a poll booth on Friday. Photo: Petlee Peter
8.30 a.m.: Election Commission will release first official data of turnout at 10 a.m. Updates to be made every two hours.
8.20 a.m.: All electronic voting machines working. No issues reported. Web streaming and Web recording in all polling booths under way.
8.10 a.m.: The mirage of a metropolis: The Hindu spoke to a cross-section of residents in the area, only to be told that nothing has changed in the constituency since the last Assembly elections in 2011. >Read more
8.00 a.m.: Polling in all 230 booths of RK Nagar Assembly Constituency begins at 8 a.m. as per schedule.
8.00 a.m.: Even though the CPI has fielded its candidate and was campaigning against Jayalalithaa, MLAs of the party had often praised the AIADMK government’s achievements on the floor of the Assembly, said the Chief Minister. >Read more
7.50 a.m.: “We have campaigned on local issues: the garbage dump in Kodungaiyur, the lack of schools, health and other issues specific to R.K. Nagar. We may or may not win, but we have started a debate about issues concerning the people. Those who are for a change are with us,” said the CPI candidate C. Mahendran. >Read more
7.40 a.m.: The CPI are the only other major party taking part in these by-polls. “We are very clear that in Parliamentary democracy, elections should not be allowed to go uncontested. That was why we fielded our candidate in the Srirangam by-election,” said a senior CPI (M) leader. >Read more
7.30 a.m.: The Madras High Court dismissed a petition which sought a direction to install CCTV cameras to monitor by-poll. >Read more
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa files her nomination for the RK Nagar bypoll to be held on June 27, in Chennai.
7.25 a.m.: R.K. Nagar has now made a sudden switch to a model one, with very little crime and better civic amenities such as roads. >Read more
7.20 a.m.: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) will not contest in the by-election to the R.K. Nagar constituency slated for June 27. >Read more
7.15 a.m.: Jayalalithaa has declared assets worth Rs. 117.13 crore. She has movable assets worth Rs. 45.04 crore and immovable assets worth Rs.72.09 crore. >Read more
7.05 a.m.: Read The Hindu 's complete coverage on Chief Minister >Jayalalithaa's journey from conviction to acquittal, and her subsequent resurrection in Tamil Nadu politics.
7.00 a.m.: AIADMK functionaries are seeking votes highlighting the ruling party’s welfare measures such as free mixies, grinders, milch cows, sheep, laptop and bicycles for students and the popular ‘Amma Canteen’ initiative for selling food items at highly subsidised rates.
6.45 a.m.: While campaigning was in full swing, at the same time, roads in R.K. Nagar were being relaid. The Election Commission stopped this work after the Opposition complained that it was a violation of code of conduct. >Read more
6.30 a.m.: Facing criticism from the Opposition for turning a blind eye to violations of model code of conduct in R.K. Nagar constituency, the EC has launched an electronic tracking and rapid action system (E-Netra) for people to report violations or electoral malpractices. >Read more
6.15 a.m.: Nearly 800 paramilitary personnel, including 10 companies of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), four companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), four companies of the Border Security Force (BSF) and two companies of Indo Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBPF), have taken over security in the R.K. Nagar constituency. >Read more
6.00 a.m.: For several thousand supporters who thronged north Chennai on June 23, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s arrival was a spectacle. >Read more
5:00 a.m.: AIADMK workers are going all out to ensure her victory against the lone CPI challenger. >Read more
4:50 a.m.: While CPI(M) has extended its support to Mahendran, major political parties such as DMK, PMK, BJP, Congress and Tamil Nadu's principal opposition party in the Assembly DMDK chose to stay away from the election.
4:40 a.m.: CPI's Mahendran has been focusing on local issues affecting the voters of the constituency.
4:30 a.m.: Of the 230 polling booths, 22 have been identified as ’vulnerable’ by the Election Commission which has taken up a slew of measures including deploying Central Armed Police Force to ensure conduct of free and fair elections.
4:20 a.m.: Jayalalithaa on her part addressed only 2 meetings during the by-poll campaign.
4:15 a.m.: The entire Tamil Nadu cabinet and senior AIADMK leaders met people individually, greeting them with folded hands and seeking votes for ‘Amma’ during the campaigning.
4:00 a.m.: The AIADMK supremo has to fulfil a constitutional requirement of getting elected as MLA within six months of becoming Chief Minister.
3:50 a.m.: Social activist ‘Traffic’ Ramasamy is among the 26 independent candidates trying his electoral luck.
3:40 a.m.: There are 28 candidates in fray, including Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and CPI candidate C. Mahendran.
3:30 a.m.: The by-poll has been necessitated to the North Chennai constituency after AIADMK’s P Vetrivel had vacated it in May.
