Vellore: The election in the Vellore Lok Sabha constituency began at 7.45 am on August 5  and counting will be held on August 9. Earlier, the Lok Sabha election to the Vellore constituency was cancelled by the Election Commission (EC) two days ahead of the polling (earlier scheduled on April 18), following recovery of huge amount of cash allegedly from an associate of a DMK leader.

AIADMK candidate AC Shanmugam, DMK’s Kathir Anand and NTK’s Deepa Lakshmi are the prominent candidates in the fray. Apart from these familiar faces, 25 other candidates are also in the battle.

Also read: Vellore election: AIADMK plans to chart its own course beyond BJP

TTV Dhinakaran’s Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam and Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam have not fielded candidates.

Reports say that in Vellore Lok Sabha seat, 1,553 booths are going for polls on Monday. About 7,500 booth level EC officers will conduct the elections. 3,752 voting machines will be used for polling votes.

The election in Vellore was earlier postponed as large amount of cash was allegedly seized from DMK candidate Kathir Anand’s office. An amount of Rs 11.53 crore was also seized from Anand's father Durai Murugan's cement warehouse in Vellore, which was to go for elections on April 18.  

Also read: Vellore Lok Sabha election: Tamil Nadu CM Palaniswami blames Stalin for poll cancellation in April

Perhaps, this was the first time election to a Lok Sabha constituency has been cancelled over use of money power. Meanwhile, on Sunday (August 4), a CCTV camera, 11 computers, a photocopy and printing machine and a scanner went missing from a polling booth in Gudiyatham.