TVK's Aadhav Arjuna wrote to the TN Chief Election Officer, seeking additional police protection and a 'sterile zone' around counting centres for the 2026 Assembly polls, citing concerns of violence and planned disturbances on counting day.
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) General Secretary of Campaign Management Aadhav Arjuna on Saturday wrote to Tamil Nadu Chief Election Officer Archana Patnaik, seeking additional police protection and the creation of a "sterile zone" around all counting centres ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly Election 2026 counting process.
Aadhav Arjuna visited the state Secretariat and met Chief Election Officer Archana Patnaik and Additional Chief Electoral Officer Sivagnanam to discuss arrangements related to vote counting.
Concerns Over Violence and Vandalism
In the letter, Aadhav Arjuna raised concerns over alleged incidents of violence and apprehension of further disturbances on the counting day. "Counting of Ballots, TN Assembly Election 2026. Praying for additional police protection, in and around all ballot counting centers and creation of a sterile zone outside the counting centers," the subject line of the letter stated.
He alleged that antisocial elements had already targeted party infrastructure. "We wish to bring to your urgent notice an alarming scenario that some antisocial elements, with a view to creating law and order problems ahead of the counting day in Tamil Nadu, have damaged our TVK party office at No: 139, Srirangam constituency, where the TVK party office was set on fire and torched, which was widely reported in both visual and print media," the letter said.
Arjuna further claimed that there were fresh inputs indicating possible attempts to disrupt the counting process. "From today morning we have been getting reports of such vandalism being planned by antisocial elements with an ulterior motive to disturb peaceful counting and also with a view to prevent our party counting centre agents, and our party MLA candidates from discharging there election duties," the letter read.
Specific Security Measures Requested
Seeking preventive measures, the TVK leader urged the deployment of armed personnel and the restriction of public movement near counting venues. "Hence to prevent such unlawful activities in and around all the 62 counting centres and to ensure our party candidates and TVK party agents personal safety in such counting centres we request the Hon'ble Chief election officer, Tamil Nadu to issue directions to concerned officials to deploy sufficient armed police protection all over Tamil Nadu across the polling stations and also create a one kilometre distance safety ring (sterile zone) by preventing the Assembly of public near all the 62 counting centres," the letter added.
"Please treat this issue as very urgent in the interest of democracy," he urged. (ANI)
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