The stage is set for the people of Tamil Nadu to decide on the constitution of their 17th state assembly. Elections are scheduled to be held in 234 electoral districts in the state on Thursday.
The total electorate in the state currently includes 57,343,291 voters, including 29,304,905 women, 28,030,658 men and 7,728 transgender people. It will determine the fate of a total of 4,023 candidates across political parties, including 3,579 men, 443 women and one transgender candidate, according to election affidavit data. Karur constituency has the largest number of candidates this time, with 79 names.
In terms of number of voters, Sholinganallur has the highest number of voters (536,991) while Harbor constituency has the lowest (116,896), according to Election Commission of India data.
On Wednesday, poll officials were busy transporting and setting up electronic voting machines and other election paraphernalia at 75,064 polling stations across the state.
According to Chief Electoral Officer Archana Patnaik, more than 1,47,000 state police personnel have been deployed to maintain strict vigil at all booths. She added that the voting process will begin at seven in the morning and end at six in the evening.
The poll commission has deployed around 1,700 companies of CAPF for the elections, officials said.
According to Patnaik, a government media control room with 15 officials, including two deputy collectors, has been set up at the Secretariat to monitor print media, electronic media and social media platforms, in order to eliminate violations of the model code of conduct.
She said: “437 complaints have been received and processed on social media, 129 complaints on print media, and 100 complaints on electronic media” so far.
She added that an operational control room, headed by two district revenue officers and consisting of 30 members, has been established to monitor the movement of GPS-equipped vehicles sent to polling stations.
“5,849 complaints related to candidates’ expenses were received and have been closed in all regions until April 21,” the CEO said.
A master control room consisting of 18 district revenue officers and their teams has also been set up to monitor the polls through live webcast, she said, adding that over 15 million CCTV cameras have been installed across the polling booths, with one camera installed outside the building and one inside the building.
Meanwhile, the state transport department announced on Wednesday that an additional special fleet of 6,234 buses will be operational on polling day to enable voters across the state to travel to their constituencies with ease.
The Southern Railway also announced the operation of three special trains, in view of the poll schedule.
The contest is primarily between the ruling secular Progressive Alliance led by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the National Democratic Alliance led by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). However, the entry of actor and politician Vijay, Tamil Nadu Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), has increased the competition.
Among the 4,023 candidates in the fray are Chief Minister M K Stalin, who is contesting from Kolattur in Chennai, and is eyeing a second consecutive term for his party, his son and deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin, who is contesting the polls from Chepauk-Thiruvalikini, AIADMK general secretary and leader of the opposition in the outgoing state Assembly, Edappadi K Palaniswami, who is contesting from Edappadi in the district. Salem. Vijay is contesting from two seats – Perambur in Chennai and Tiruchirappalli East constituency.
Two former AIADMK leaders – former chief minister O Panneerselvam (OPS) and nine-time MLA KA Sengottaiyan, are also contesting from Bodinayakanur and Gobichettipalayam, on a DMK and TVK ticket respectively.
In 2021, the DMK-led alliance swept the polls, winning 159 of the 234 seats in the state, while the AIADMK-led alliance managed to bag 75 seats.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is contesting 27 seats under the NDA umbrella, with former Telangana Governor Tamilisai Sundararajan, who is contesting from Mylapore, and current state party chief Nainar Nagendran, who is contesting from Sattur, among the leading candidates in the prayer.
On the final day of the election campaign on Tuesday, the leaders heading the two alliances – Prime Minister Stalin and Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing Parliament, Palaniswami – made final appeals to voters. “The day when we write our own Tamil Nadu’s future is coming. No one can deceive you. You know what is truth and what is lies, what is acting and what is hard work,” Stalin said in a video appeal shared on
The votes will be counted on May 4.
