Tamil Nadu Assembly election 2026| Political parties urge authorities to facilitate voting for hospitalised patients in Coimbatore

Political party representatives have urged authorities to make arrangements for hospitalised patients to cast their votes, during a review meeting held at the Coimbatore Collectorate on Friday.

The meeting, the first since the arrival of election observers, was chaired by District Election Officer and Collector Pavankumar G. Giriyappanavar. It was attended by five general observers, seven expenditure observers and one police observer, along with returning officers, nodal officers and representatives of recognised political parties.

“There are many patients in hospitals who cannot visit polling stations. Arrangements must be made to enable them to vote,” said A. Somasundaram, State joint secretary of the AIADMK advocate wing. Representatives of other parties also raised the issue.

Officials said the possibility of facilitating voting through Form 12D for those unable to move would be examined, but clarified that no decision has been taken.

V.T. Arasu of the BJP said checks were being carried out repeatedly on the same vehicles by different teams along the same stretch, causing delays, and called for streamlining the process.

R.K. Suresh Kumar of the DMK IT wing said the rate chart used for calculating election expenditure was high. He also objected to the Election Commission’s rule to include expenses for booths set up outside polling stations in the candidate’s account.

“Earlier, such expenses were not added to the candidate’s account. Including them now will increase overall expenditure. These booths are set up to assist all voters,” he said.