Peaceful voting in Tirumangalam bypoll (madate 2008)

TIRUMANGALAM (TN): Polling for the byelection to the Tirumangalam constituency in Tamil Nadu began on a peaceful note on friday with about 15 per cent of the 1.55 lakh- strong electorate voting in the first two hours, officials said.

Long queues of voters were seen in polling booths both in rural as well as urban areas of the constituency where eight companies of Central Paramilitary force and 3000 state police personnel have been deployed.

The constituency is witnessing a three-cornered contest among DMK's Latha Athiyaman, AIADMK's M Muthuramalingam and actor-politician Vijaykant's DMDK nominee T Danapandiyan.

MDMK, whose sitting member Veera Elavarasan's death caused the bypoll, has given the seat to its ally, the AIADMK.

Authorities have warned of stern action against those trying to create trouble. Observers have been posted to monitor all the 190 polling booths, the officials said.