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R. Ashwin Votes in Tamil Nadu Polls, Urges Public to Exercise Their Right

Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin cast his vote in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections at a polling station in Chennai's West Mambalam. He emphasized the importance of the election and urged all citizens to fulfill their democratic duty. His vote was part of a wider civic participation that saw several Tamil film stars, including Rajinikanth, Ajith Kumar, and Kamal Haasan, also casting their ballots. The state witnessed a high-stakes contest primarily between the DMK-led and AIADMK-led alliances, with a significant electorate of over 5.73 crore voters.

Key Points: R. Ashwin Casts Vote in Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections

  • Ashwin votes with wife Prithi Narayanan
  • Actor Ajith Kumar and Rajinikanth also cast ballots
  • Kamal Haasan and Shruti Haasan exercise franchise
  • High-stakes contest between DMK and AIADMK alliances
2 min read

"Wanted to come and exercise my right": Cricketer R. Ashwin casts his vote in Chennai

Cricketer R. Ashwin casts his vote in Chennai, calling the Tamil Nadu election "very important" and urging everyone to exercise their democratic right.

"This is a very important election in Tamil Nadu. Just wanted to come and exercise my right. - R. Ashwin"

Chennai, April 23

Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin cast his vote on Thursday at a polling station located in West Mambalam Sitaraman Vidyalaya Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Chennai as polling for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections is underway.

He was accompanied by his wife, Prithi Narayanan. Ashwin waited for his turn in the line, showed his inked finger after casting the vote, before clicking selfies with the fans.

Speaking to ANI after casting his vote, Ashwin said, "This is a very important election in Tamil Nadu. Just wanted to come and exercise my right. I have done my job, and now, everybody has to do theirs. Hopefully, whoever comes to power will change the face of Tamil Nadu."

Polling is being held across Tamil Nadu as part of the ongoing Assembly elections, with several prominent personalities participating in the democratic process.

Earlier in the morning, actor Ajith Kumar and Superstar Rajnikanth cast their votes at their respective polling booths. Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) chief and veteran actor Kamal Haasan, along with his daughter Shruti Haasan, also cast their votes.

Polling for the Assembly elections of Tamil Nadu began at 7:00 am in the morning amid tight security. The voting will conclude at 6:00 pm today. The counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.

Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Archana Patnaik said that the state's electorate comprises over 5.73 crore voters, featuring 2,93,04,905 female voters, 2,80,30,658 male voters, and 7,728 third-gender voters. The poll body is also catering to 14,59,039 first-time voters and 68,501 service voters, with 4,18,541 postal votes already received. Furthermore, 62 counting centres have already been established to ensure a smooth process after the high-stakes voting concludes.

The main contest is expected between the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, which includes the Congress, DMDK and VCK, and the National Democratic Alliance led by AIADMK with BJP and PMK as allies.

With the DMK banking on its Dravidian 2.0 model, the AIADMK-led NDA is fighting for a comeback. Actor-turned-politician Vijay is also set to make his electoral debut with his party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), which could turn the contest into a three-way fight.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Good to see celebrities using their platform to encourage voting. But I hope people are voting based on policies and development, not just because a star did it.
K
Karthik V
Ashwin Anna waiting in line like a common man, no VIP treatment. This is the spirit of democracy! Hope the youth of TN are inspired to come out and vote.
S
Sarah B
The numbers are impressive - over 5.7 crore voters! The high participation of first-time voters is especially encouraging for the democratic process.
M
Manish T
"I have done my job, now everybody has to do theirs." Perfectly said! Let's hope for a stable government that focuses on development, jobs, and infrastructure.
A
Anjali F
With Vijay's party entering the fray, it's going to be a very interesting election. The youth connect might change traditional voting patterns. Exciting times for TN politics!

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