Polling in 234 Assembly seats in Tamil Nadu is underway at 7 a.m. on Tuesday.
The Election Commission has said that it will be conducting the polls with due COVID-19 health protocols such as checking the temperature of voters.
In Tamil Nadu, which faces a five-cornered battle, the AIADMK-led alliance with Edappadi K. Palaniswami as its Chief Ministerial face is seeking a renewed mandate. DMK president M.K. Stalin, heading a rainbow alliance, is making a strong pitch to form a government with him as Chief Minister for the first time. There is also T.T.V. Dhinakaran-led AMMK in alliance with DMDK and AIMIM. Tamil nationalist party Naam Tamilar Katchi and new entrant Makkal Needhi Maiam are also in the fray.
Here are the latest updates:
Chennai queues up to vote
Voters began to queue up at booths from as early as 6.45 a.m. in South Chennai.
People have been designated to carry out temparature checks and give sanitiser to the voters and disposable gloves were being given as well. Voters at the Chennai High School in Eldams road who queued up at 7 a.m. were all seen wearing masks.
Actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam President Kamal Haasan cast his vote along with his daughters Shruti Haasan and Akshara Haasan at Eldams Road. In Thiruvanmiyur, actors Ajith and Shalini cast their votes early in the morning as well. Actors Surya and Karthi too exercised their franchise in a polling booth at T.Nagar. - S. Poorvaja
Many commuters who are employed in Hosur were unable to find buses back to their home town in Tirupathur on election day to cast their votes.
Commuters were waiting it out for connecting buses from Krishnagiri bus stand to Thirupathur. | Photo Credit: P. Srividya
EVM snag delays voting in the booth at St. Michael's Primary School, Tharuvaikulam in Ottapidaaram (Reserved) constituency in Thoothukudi district.
No vote has been polled so far as voters waiting in long queue in this coastal hamlet.
Former Union Minister P.Chidambaram casts his vote
Former Union Minister P.Chidambaram casting vote at Kandanur in Sivaganga district on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: L. Balachandar
Brisk polling in Karur
Polling for the Assembly elections has begun on a brisk note in four constituencies in Karur district.
Long queues were seen in most of booths in Kulithalai, Krishnarayapuram and Aravakuruchi. Several voters reached the booths even before 7 a.m. All voters were sanitised before reaching their respective booths. Similarly, plastic gloves were distributed to the voters for protecting themselves from COVID-19 infection while casting vote. - C. Jaisankar
Rajini, Ajith among early voters
People started lining up early in the morning eagerly to cast their votes. Actors Rajinikanth and Ajith Kumar were among the early voters in Chennai.
Actor Ajith along with his wife Shalini wait to cast their vote at Thiruvanmiyur ECR School in Chennai. | Photo Credit: Karunakaran M
Actor Rajinikanth casts his vote at Stella Marris College in Chennai | Photo Credit: R. Ragu
Polling begins in Tamil Nadu
Polling in 234 Assembly seats in Tamil Nadu went underway at 7 a.m. on Tuesday.
A total of 3998 candidates including heavyweights like Chief Minister K Palaniswami, deputy CM O Panneerselvam, DMK President M K Stalin, AMMK founder TTV Dhinakaran and Makkal Needhi Maiam President Kamal Haasan are in the fray.
The Election Commission will be conducting the polls with due covid-19 health protocols such as checking the temperature of voters.
BJP clarifies on posters
With reference to the poll snippet relating to posters by BJP that appeared on April 5, 2021, BJP has clarified that no such poster was printed by the party terming Tamil Nadu as Dakshina Pradesh.
With regard to the posters and the images that went viral on social media, BJP spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy told The Hindu that the posters were definitely not printed or pasted by the party and in fact the posters by the party had used the word Tamil Nadu.
When asked whether somebody else was behind the posters, he replied that it could be political opponents with an ulterior motive to damage the poll prospects of the BJP.
For the first time, EVMs carried up Neknamalai in a vehicle
Forty-year old Chinnathayi looks astonished as she sees a vehicle, carrying the EVM unit, snake up through a dusty dirt road on the rocky Neknamalai hill in Vaniyambadi Taluk. This is the first time the unit is being carried up the hill using motorised transport.
"All these years, the machines used to be carried on donkeys or using dolis up the hill to Neknamalai village located five kilometers away from the foothills. This time, the dirt road was created by clearing the rocks to give us COVID-19 relief and because ministers visited our village, " recalls Ms. Chinnathayi, who was walking to the village with a bag of vegetables due to lack of transport facility.
Sasikala’s name ‘deleted’ from voters list, says her counsel
The name of V K Sasikala, confidante of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, has been ‘removed’ from the voters list and it is an ‘injustice,’ her legal counsel said in Chennai on Monday.
She was sad about it and legal action would be initiated against the official responsible, he said.