LIVE RK Nagar By-Election updates: With the court acquitting all the accused in the 2G scam case, speculation started doing rounds that the verdict might have a direct impact on the on-going R K Nagar by-polls. DMK MP Kanimozhi, after being acquitted from the 2G scam case, claimed that the verdict will boost the morale of her party. A massive voter turnout might be recorded at the RK Nagar constituency as it stands at 41.6 per cent till 1 pm. DMK candidate N. Marudhu Ganesh was the first big leader to turn out to the poll booth to cast his vote. BJP candidate Karu Nagarajan also came early morning to cast his vote. The RK Nagar by-election was necessitated because of the demise of then CM Jayalalithaa. The by-election here has now become a prestige battle between the two factions of AIADMK. TV Dhinakaran, M Ganesh of DMK and E Madhusudhanan of AIADMK are in the bypoll fray.

On Wednesday, a controversy broke out when Dhinakaran camp released a purported video of Jayalalithaa under treatment at Apollo hospital during her last days. The ruling AIADMK hit out at the VK Sasikala family over the release the video, saying it was a “conspiracy” and a “demeaning” act with an eye on tomorrow’s RK Nagar bypoll. “This demeaning (act) is a planned conspiracy by the Sasikala family to bring disrepute to Amma’s fame and image, done keeping in mind the (RK Nagar) bypoll,” said senior AIADMK leader and Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar. The minister also asked why the TTV Dhinakaran camp, did not approach the panel constituted by the state government to probe the death of the AIADMK supremo with the visual material.

Sidelined AIADMK leader Dhinakaran is contesting as an independent and taking on ruling party’s E Madhusudhanan. Dhinakaran is the nephew of Sasikala, who is currently lodged in a Bengaluru jail.

2: 30 pm: AIADMK leader D Jayakumar says, “2G scam verdict is not final. It can be appealed in HC. It will not have any impact on RK Nagar by-poll

1: 58 pm: LIVE RK Nagar Bypoll: A massive voter turnout might be recorded at the RK Nagar constituency as it stands at 41.6 per cent till 1 pm.

12: 33 pm: DMK spokesperson Manu Sundaram, speaking on the 2G acquittal of DMK leaders, said, “This is not an election issue per se for the RK Nagar bypoll, but it vindicates our stand and reaffirms what DMK has been saying till date, that the real scam is to call it a scam.”

12: 24 pm: As of 11 am, 23 per cent polling has been recorded at RK Nagar.

12: 18 pm: DMK leader Manu Sundaram told News18, “Regardless of what the judgment was, we were always well poised to win the RK Nagar bypoll, but now with this positive verdict, the margin of our victory will be much more.”

12: 01 pm: “Congratulations to all those who have been acquitted,” says Independent candidate AIADMK leader TTV Dinakaran.

11: 50 am: Speaking to reporters DMK MP Kanimozhi, who was acquitted by the CBI special court in the 2G spectrum scam, said that the verdict would have no impact over the RK Nagar bypoll results as “the DMK is already winning in the constituency.”

11: 30 am: An independent candidate M.S. Arumugham takes a tour of the city on his two-wheeler on the polling day in R K Nagar.

M.S. Arumugham, independent candidate from R K Nagar

11: 10 am: Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Lakhoni monitoring polling in RKNagar says 10.99 per cent of polling has been recorded till 10 am. The number has been derived through random sampling.

11: 02 am: BJP candidate K Nagarajan further alleged that his name has been pushed to the last in the voting machine and as many as 178 machines were not blinking/beeping when the voter votes.

10: 50 am: Early morning scenes from polling booth show the large voter turn-out. SEE PICS

Voters queue up to cast vote (Source: Twitter)
Voters showing up their voter ID cards

10: 33 am: TTV Dhinakaran, contesting as an independent candidate, refutes BJP’s allegation of bribing voters; says “people trust me, they are with me”

Independent candidate TTV Dinakaran responds to reporters

10: 14 am: A voter who had come to cast his vote along with his pet dog turned away by authorities. The voter finally cast his vote after leaving his dog with his friend who had also come for casting vote.

Voter hands out his pet to friend

10: 05 am: AIADMK candidate E. Madhusudhanan cast his vote, says “God and Amma’s grace is with us.”

AIADMK candidate E. Madhusudhanan arrives to cast his vote

9: 59 am: As many as fifteen persons have been remanded so far to judicial custody and 122 taken into preventive custody. Police have also seized 83 vehicles for violations in the run up to the high voltage RK Nagar bypoll

9: 52 am: As of 9 am, the polling percentage in R.K. Nagar is 7.32 per cent, according to inputs from 173 booths, says Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Lakhoni.

9: 43 am: As per a PTI report, the Dhinakaran camp is facing flak for the release of a video clip yesterday, purportedly featuring late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in a hospital bed.

9: 36 am: The TTV faction, DMK as well as the ruling the AIADMK are handing out Rs 20 for every vote. We have also complained to the Election Commission but it seems that the poll body is helpless,” BJP candidate K Nagarajan tells News18.

9: 27 am: As per a PTI report, the bypoll is mainly seen as a fight between the ruling AIADMK, its rival faction led by Dhinakaran and DMK. While veteran ruling party leader and former MLA E Madhusudanan is the AIADMK nominee, Dhinakaran is contesting as an independent for the first time.

9: 20 am: By Wednesday, a total of Rs 30,79,382 unaccounted cash was seized and 124 FIRs were filed for election offences.

9: 16 am: BJP candidate Karu Nagarajan alleges that TTV faction is bribing voters. He claims the EC is not doing anything about this. Watch Video

9: 10 am: Three way fight to claim Amma’s Legacy. RK Nagar comes out to vote after a scandalous election campaign.

9: 03 am: LIVE RK Nagar By-Election: Parties and leaders wrest for CM Jayalalithaa’s legacy. Long queues outside polling booths.

8: 57 am: The constituency has a total of 110411 male voters and 116522 female registered voters. The populatuion of third gender voters is 99.

8: 52 am: The constituency saw cash being given in a brazen manner for votes ahead of the by-election

8: 48 am: A total of 15 companies of paramilitary personnel have already taken positions in the constituency and about 2,000 officials would be deployed on election-related activities. There are about five police personnel in each booth.

8: 41 am: Jayalalithaa’s bastion to pick next leader. The voters are turning out in large numbers. Good voter turnout expected.

8: 31 am: Over two lakh voters are eligible to decide the fate of 59 candidates in one of the smallest constituencies in Tamil Nadu.

8: 29 am: India’s most controversial bypoll RK Nagar is underway

8: 25 am: RKNagarByPoll LIVE: “We will ensure free and fair elections, today. Have deployed additional forces” says Chennai City Police Commissioner A.K. Viswanathan

8: 21 am: DMK candidate N. Marudhu Ganesh after casting his vote said, “whether it is Rs 6000 or Rs 60,000, we are going to win; voters of RK Nagar will teach a lesson to AIADMK this time”

8: 19 am: RKNagarByPoll in Chennai: People queue up to vote at the Chennai Girls Higher Secondary School in Tiruvottiyur. See PICS

People come out in large number to vote
A long queue for voting at the polling booth

8: 16 am: BJP candidate Karu Nagarajan arrives at a polling booth in Chennai to cast his vote in the RK Nagar ByPoll.

BJP candidate Karu Nagarajan arriving at a polling booth in Chennai to cast his vote

8: 12 am: Massive crowd emerges at polling booth as RK Nagar by-election begins. Watch Video:

8: 07 am: DMK candidate N. Marudhu Ganesh reaches polling booth no. 134 in Chennai to cast his vote

8: 02 am: Polling begins for the RK Nagar byelections.

7: 55 am: Voting to begin shortly. The counting of votes to be held on December 24 and the result will come on the same day

7: 44 am: LIVE RK Nagar By-Election: Voting will begin at 8 AM. The constituency is significant as it was once held by the late Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa.

7: 28 am: Last minute preparations have begun for the polling. There is tight security in the booth camps. See latest visuals

The booth camps are being prepared for the polling
Tight security has been ensured at booth camps

7: 12 am: With around 2,500 security personnel, over 200 surveillance cameras, 75 flying squad teams, 21 static surveillance teams, 20 monitoring teams with video recording devices and around 45 check posts, the RK Nagar byelection is the costliest in the country ever.

7: 03 am: Although the poll was first scheduled to be held in April, it was cancelled due to complaints of large-scale voter bribing by a candidate.

6: 53 am: The Election Commission of India (EC) has deployed nine observers, the highest for an election in one constituency, for the RK Nagar bypolls.

4: 15 am: Campaigning for the high-stakes December 21 bypoll to the RK Nagar assembly seat here will end this evening and the outcome of the hustings is likely to be seen as a report card of the 17-month old AIADMK government. The political campaign will end by 5 pm and the Election Commission has made it clear that there will be no related activities afterwards as per rules.

3: 48 am: The ruling AIADMK today hit out at the VK Sasikala family over the release of a purported hospital video of late J Jayalalithaa, saying it was a “conspiracy” and a “demeaning” act with an eye on tomorrow’s RK Nagar bypoll. The party said this amounted to bringing “disrepute” to the late Tamil Nadu chief minister’s fame and image.