New Delhi, April 23
Voting is taking place on Thursday, in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections across all 234 constituencies, marking a crucial day in the state's political calendar as millions of voters head to polling stations to decide the next government.
The election features a total of 4,023 candidates in the fray, reflecting a wide and competitive multi-cornered contest spread across parties and independents.
The electoral battle is primarily being fought between major political forces such as the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), and Tamil Manila Congress (TMC), alongside several smaller regional outfits and independent candidates. The presence of multiple players has turned the contest into a complex political equation across different regions of the state.
A total of 5,73,43,291 voters are eligible to cast their votes in this large-scale democratic exercise. The electorate includes 2.93 crore women, and 2.83 crore men. Over 14.5 lakh first-time voters are set to exercise their franchise.
Ahead of polling day, the Election Commission of India undertook extensive voter awareness campaigns across Tamil Nadu to encourage higher turnout and promote informed participation. Officials have focused on improving engagement levels and addressing voter apathy in urban as well as rural areas.
Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Archana Patnaik, addressing a press briefing in Chennai on April 22, said the state administration and election machinery were fully prepared for the polling process. She also confirmed that 243 rebuttals and clarifications were issued during the campaign period to counter misinformation circulating on social media platforms, aimed at maintaining electoral integrity and transparency.
On the logistical front, mock polling exercises were conducted at several locations across the state on Thursday morning, including the Armed Reserve campus in Madurai district, Thillai Nagar Makkal Mandram in Tiruchirappalli West Assembly constituency, and a government school in Vittukatti village near Thiruthuraipoondi.
For the voting process, 75,064 polling stations have been established across the state. More than 3 lakh polling personnel have been deployed to manage the election duties and ensure the smooth conduct of voting.
Security has been significantly strengthened, with over 83,000 police personnel deployed across Tamil Nadu to maintain law and order and ensure peaceful polling. In addition, the Election Commission has deployed more than 1.06 lakh ballot units, along with control units and VVPAT machines, with a 20-30 per cent reserve stock to address any technical contingencies during the voting process.
- IANS
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