Voting is underway in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, with millions of voters participating across all 234 constituencies. The election sees a competitive contest with 4,023 candidates vying for victory, representing various parties and independents. Major players include the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), and Tamil Manila Congress (TMC), among others.
A total of 5,73,43,291 voters, comprising 2.93 crore women and 2.83 crore men, are eligible to cast their votes. Notably, over 14.5 lakh first-time voters are expected to participate in this democratic exercise. The Election Commission of India conducted extensive voter awareness campaigns to boost turnout and combat voter apathy in both urban and rural areas.
Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Archana Patnaik assured full preparedness of the state administration and election machinery for the polling process. To maintain electoral integrity, 243 rebuttals and clarifications were issued during the campaign period to counter misinformation on social media platforms. Mock polling exercises were carried out at various locations, including the Armed Reserve campus in Madurai district and polling stations in other areas.
With 75,064 polling stations set up across Tamil Nadu, more than 3 lakh polling personnel are deployed to ensure the smooth conduct of voting. Security measures have been heightened, with over 83,000 police personnel deployed to maintain law and order during the elections. The Election Commission has also provided more than 1.06 lakh ballot units, control units, and VVPAT machines, with reserve stocks in place to address any technical issues that may arise.
