Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu were contested by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazagam, Makkal Needhi Maiam (all of which are part of the Secular Progressive Alliance, National Democratic Alliance, Makkalin Mudhal Kootani) and other parties.
Polling in 234 Assembly seats in Tamil Nadu was held on April 6, 2021 that recorded 71.79% turnout.
Here are the latest updates from Tamil Nadu. For live updates on results of the other elections, follow Assam | Kerala | Puducherry | West Bengal.
Counting begins in Central T.N. with rigid adherence to safety protocol
Counting of votes in Tiruchi, Thanjavur, Karur, Pudukottai, Ariyalur and other central districts has begun at different counting centres established in various educational institutions.
While the votes polled in Tiruchi (East) and Tiruchi (West) are being counted at Jamal Mohamed College in Tiruchi, Saranathan College of Engineering at Panjappur is the counting centre for the votes polled in Manapparai, Srirangam and Thiruverumbur constituencies. The votes polled in Lalgudi and Mannachanallur constituencies are being counted at K. Ramakrishnan College of Engineering near Samayapuram. Imayam College of Engineering is the centre for counting of votes polled in Thuraiyur and Musiri constituencies.
Counting of votes polled in Karur, Krishnarayapuram, Kulithalai and Aravakurichi has begun at M. Kumarasamy College of Engineering on the outskirts of Karur, amid tight security in and around the counting centre. - C. Jaishankar
Postal ballots first...
Counting of postal ballots to start at Loyola College counting centre for Thousand Lights constituency
State braces for election results
Counting of votes for the 16th Assembly election in Tamil Nadu will begin at 8 a.m. amid a stringent COVID-19 protocol and heavy security. Votes polled in the byelection to the Kanniyakumari Lok Sabha constituency will also be counted.
The counting will take place at 75 centres. The postal ballots will be counted first before the votes polled in the EVMs are taken up. There will be a minimum of 14 tables in each counting hall, with a maximum of 43 rounds. Three constituencies — Pallavaram, Chengalpattu and Tambaram — will have more than 40 rounds. The number of tables will also be more than 14 in some of the larger constituencies, according to the data provided by the Election Commission. There will be a total of 3,372 tables and 6,213 rounds (in all 234 constituencies).
The Election Commission has said all candidates and their agents will be allowed into the counting hall if only they have undergone RT-PCR/RAT tests and reported negative or taken two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. It has also deployed reserve counting observers to replace the counting observers falling ill. The counting halls will be disinfected once in two hours.
After being out of power for 10 years, the DMK hopes to be back in the saddle in T.N. Meanwhile, there is a search for new alignments in both States. The fragmentation of Dravidian politics, following the passing of Jayalalithaa of the AIADMK and M. Karunanidhi of the DMK, has opened up possibilities. Actor-turned politician Kamal Haasan and film-maker and Tamil nationalist Seeman also fancy their chances as they jostle for space in the changed scenario. Though the BJP is far from gaining a foothold in either State, its looming influence is evident in the resonance of religious appeals in the public sphere.
In Tamil Nadu, all exit polls are pointing at one direction — an emphatic comeback of the DMK bringing M.K. Stalin, heir of Karunanidhi in Chief Minister’s seat. Read more
“Do not crowd”
DMK president M.K. Stalin on Friday called upon partymen and cadres of alliance parties not to crowd near counting centres to celebrate the victory when the results of the Assembly election come out on Sunday.
In T.N., the DMK sought to give itself a makeover as a party not antithetical to customs and traditions. In the rivalry between the Dravidian camps in T.N., the Congress used to be the swing power. Whether it retains that role is to be seen. Read Editorial
In the assembly elections, a total of 5,68,580 more women voted than men in 2021, the widest increase in the history of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, according to the figures released by the Chief Electoral Officer. Of the total 4,57,76,311 people who voted, 2,31,71,736 were women, 2,26,03,156 were men, and 1,419 were others. Read more
Data
Take a look at our chart showing the turnout (in %) in the past 10 elections in Tamil Nadu, coloured according to winning coalition. Read more
Watch
A video on Tamil Nadu's first Assembly election held during a pandemic