Postal Ballot  

Chennai: The election for the Nadigar Sangam, association of film, television and stage actors from the Tamil film and entertainment industry began today. Nearly 3,000 artistes are expected to cast their vote.

Outgoing office-bearers such as president Nassar, secretary Vishal Reddy and treasurer Karthi are seeking another term, whereas Bhagyaraj, Udhaya, Kutty Padmini and Ishari Ganesh are contesting against them. Meanwhile, Superstar Rajinikanth put out a tweet stating that he will not be able to vote this time as the postal ballot has not reached him. The date for election to Nadigar Sangam was set after the Madras high court gave a green signal. Actress Khushboo, stars Vijay, Suriya and others cast their votes. Results of the same will be announced by evening.

The alleged postal ballot scam came to the fore after a voice message originating from one of the WhatsApp groups of police personnel went viral. The voice message contains a conversation between two policemen, wherein one of them is heard asking the other to give him the postal ballots. 
 

Counting of postal ballots will start at 8 am, following which EVMs will be taken into account. But the announcement of results will begin at 3 pm in Karnataka, said the Election Commission.

Kerala chief electoral officer Teeka Ram Meena said 22,640 security personnel would be on duty in Kerala on Lok Sabha election counting day. Meena said that there would be 29 counting locations, including postal ballots and EVMs. 

Three policemen had their individual ballots taken back after facing allegations of tampering with postal ballots.
 

It is alleged that 33 police officers of Bekal Police Station in Kasaragod, who were on Lok Sabha election duty on April 23, were not allowed postal ballots. The Crime Branch special investigation team, which is probing the allegations, will submit an interim report to the Chief Electoral Offiicer Teeka Ram Meena
 

A special team of the Crime Branch is conducting an inquiry into allegations of 33 policemen not being allotted postal ballots and the case of missing postal ballots of police officers in other districts of the state too

Civil police officer Vaisakh had earlier posted a video message on a WhatsApp group of police personnel. The voice message was that of Vaisakh asking another policeman to give him the postal ballots, which had to be handed over to a pro-CPM police association leader.

Kerala's director general of police Lokanath Behera has recommended action against those police officers who committed poll rigging with postal ballots. Security forces on Wednesday killed two naxals, including a woman, in the insurgency-hit Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh. Watch MyNation in 100 seconds.

Kerala's director general of police Lokanath Behera had submitted a report to the chief electoral officer Teeka Ram Meena, based on the information received from Intelligence ADGP TK Vinod Kumar. In the letter, the DGP stated that the provision of the Representation of the People Act was violated in the case regarding postal ballots.