RK Nagar bypoll live updates: Polling concludes with 77.68 % voting

There were reports of malfunctioning of the electronic voting machine (EVM) at one polling booth even as brisk voting continued throughout the day.

As polling got underway at RK Nagar, Chennai police commissioner A.K. Viswanathan said additional forces have been deployed to ensure free and fair voting.

DMK candidate N. Marudhu Ganesh while 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."

Voting began today in the prestigious RK Nagar bypoll in Chennai after a high-voltage campaign by the ruling AIADMK, Independent candidate TTV Dinkarakan and DMK for late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa's seat.

The bypoll was initially scheduled for April 12 but the Election Commission cancelled it over allegation of votes being bought by parties in the vote-for-cash scam.

The run-up to the election was marred by controversy with the AIADMK faction led by E K Palaniswami-O Panneerselvam(EPS-OPS) along with TTV Dhinakaran vying for the "two leaves" symbol. 

In a big blow to Dhinakaran, the Election Commission finally decided to give it to the EPS-OPS faction. As a result, Dhinakaran decided to contest the polls as an Independent.

TTV Dinakaran reportedly has the blessing of Sasikala who is currently in jail convicted in the disappropriate assets case.

Even as the faction-fight within the AIADMK was out in the open, DMK under Stalin campaigned long and hard with support from several small parties including the Left.

Counting of votes will take place on December 24th.