The polling process began at 7 AM across the state on a brisk note and by noon it went on a sluggish pace for a while and later picked up till voting ended.
Electronic Voting Machine. (Creative Commons)
Tamil Nadu recorded a voter turnout of 69.46 percent in the Lok Sabha polls held in a single phase on Friday, 19 April, with no major untoward incidents.
The EC has revised the voter turnout to 69.46 percent, from the earlier 72 percent.
State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Satyabrata Sahoo had on Friday said the state witnessed a turnout of 72.09 percent.
However, officials had then indicated there could be changes in the turnout figure.
Asked about the difference in the figures, officials on Saturday, 20 April said the earlier “figures were based on sample data from some polling stations,” and that the accurate numbers were arrived upon past midnight.
About 1.3 lakh police personnel and 190 companies of Central Armed Police forces were deployed for free and fair polls in 68,321 polling stations, that were manned by 3,32,233 election personnel in 39 Lok Sabha constituencies across the state.
In 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Tamil Nadu registered 72.44 percent polling.
The lone Puducherry Lok Sabha seat recorded 77.86 percent polling, according to the union territory election authorities.
The fight is between BJP’s A Namassivayam and Congress MP V Vaithilingam, seeking a successive term.
In 2019, Puducherry recorded 81.25 percent voting.
Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo said the polling process was held peacefully across the state barring some very minor incidents, that were argumentative in nature.
There were reports of glitches in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in some places but they were rectified.
The contest was largely three-way with ruling DMK, AIADMK and BJP leading respective blocs.
The polling process began at 7 AM across the state on a brisk note and by noon it went on a sluggish pace for a while and later picked up till voting ended.
Of the 39 constituencies, Dharmapuri topped with an 81.48 percent turnout while Chennai Central recorded the lowest at 53.91 percent, according to the latest EC data.
DMK’s Dayanidhi Maran, BJP’s Vinoj P Selvam and DMDK’s Parthasarathy, an AIADMK ally are the key candidates in Chennai Central.
In Coimbatore, where BJP state president K Annamalai is facing a three-way challenge from DMK’s Ganapathy Rajkumar, AIADMK’s Singai G Ramachandran and Naam Tamilar Katchi’s (NTK) Kalamani Jaganathan, 71.17 percent voter turnout was recorded.
Annamalai claimed the names of about one lakh voters were not found in the electoral rolls and sought appropriate action.
South Chennai, where BJP’s Tamilisai Soundararajan is trying her luck saw 67.82 percent polling. DMK’s Tamizachi Thangapandian and AIADMK’s J Jayavardhan are her main rivals.
Dharmapuri recorded the second highest polling of 75.44 percent. NDA ally, PMK’s Sowmiya Anbumani, DMK’s A Mani and AIADMK’s R Asokan are the main contenders in Chennai.
While there were some complaints of names of voters missing from electoral rolls including at Mahathanapuram booth in Mayiladuthurai, Sahoo said the matter would be looked into and appealed to people to check the draft electoral rolls are published.
Two elderly voters died after arriving to cast their vote in Salem and a report has been sought, he added.
The Lok Sabha election also saw boycott by villagers opposed to the Parandur airport project near Chennai and by people at Vengaivayal in Pudukkottai district to mark their protest over non-arrest of perpetrators in the human faeces incident of 2022 that shocked the state.
For reasons involving local issues, people belonging to some other places too avoided casting their votes.
It included Seeragampatti under Natham in Dindigul district and an area in Thoothukudi district, where miscreants pelted stones on a police vehicle.
In Chidambaram Lok Sabha constituency where DMK ally Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) chief Thol Thirumavalavan is seeking reelection, a BJP office-bearer was allegedly assaulted by VCK workers.
Chidambaram BJP candidate Karthiyayini posted a video clip of the assaulted worker on X and sought tough action.
Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi cast his vote at a polling booth here while Chief Minister MK Stalin, former CMs, O Panneerselvam and Edappadi K Palaniswami and leaders of political parties exercised their franchise.
TN BJP President K Annamalai voted at his native village in Karur district and NTK top leader Seeman at Neelankarai in Chennai. PMK’s Dharmapuri candidate Sowmiya Anbumani voted at Tindivanam.
A host of cinema stars, including Rajinikanth, actor-politicians Kamal Haasan and Vijay and Ajith Kumar also exercised their franchise.
The enthusiasm among first-time voters was palpable who hurried to find their names on electoral rolls at makeshift kiosks set up by political parties. Several of them proudly displayed the indelible mark and said they had completed their democratic duty.
Authorities ensured amenities like drinking water and a “pandal” to provide shade to voters who line up the serpentine queues.
(Note: The copy has been updated with the latest voter turnout percentage released by the EC.)
(Disclaimer: The headline, subheads, and intro of this report along with the photos may have been reworked by South First. The rest of the content is from a syndicated feed, and has been edited for style.)
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