Madurai: With counting for the Tamil Nadu Assembly election scheduled for today, the DMK leadership has issued instructions to its counting agents to be extra vigilant during the postal ballot tally.
According to the party, postal votes will be counted first between 8.00 am and 8.30 am, after which votes recorded in electronic voting machines (EVMs) will be taken up in the presence of candidates and authorised agents.
The DMK said its legal wing secretary Ilangovan and organising secretary Bharathi conducted an online briefing for agents on how to function inside counting centres. Party sources said the guidance was aimed at ensuring close scrutiny, and that lawyers have been appointed as agents.
During the briefing, Ilangovan reportedly cited the 2016 case involving Speaker Appavu, where a narrow defeat was later challenged in court. The party warned that in closely fought constituencies, postal ballots could be decisive, and advised agents to raise objections and seek official clarification if any confusion is noticed during postal vote counting.
DMK agents were also told not to leave the counting centre in such situations, and that the party’s lawyers would review the Election Commission’s explanation before deciding the next course of action.
