Tamil Naduis all set for the final election showdown between the rulingDravida Munnetra Kazhagam(DMK)-led INDIA bloc and theAll India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam(AIADMK)-BJP led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The polling in the state on all 234 seats will be held in one single phase on April 23, Thursday (today). The voting begins at 7 AM and concludes at 6 PM. The state is poised to witness an intense power battle where the incumbent Chief Minister MK Stalin will look to hold the power, while AIADMK under E Palaniswami and with the support of the BJP, hopes for a revival. Simultaneously, it is also going to be a fierce test for the new entrant Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay, who puts his bid forward in the region.
The campaigns are over, the rallies have ended, and the silence has set in, but the tension is anything but quiet. In Thursday's election, over 5.73 crore voters will decide the electoral fate of 4,023 candidates in the fray inTamil Nadu Assembly elections.
The political landscape remains charged with anticipation over whether the DMK's "Rising Sun" will continue its rule or if the AIADMK's "Two Leaves" will regain its footing, or a cinematic "TVK" entry will switch up the political balance.
Polling preparations are in full swing as anticipated voter turnout is expected to exceed usual levels. For election duty, 1,20,000 police personnel and 3,40,000 government staff have been deployed.
The state's electorate comprises over 5.73 crore voters, featuring 2,93,04,905 female voters, 2,80,30,658 male voters, and 7,728 third-gender voters. The poll body is also catering to 14,59,039 first-time voters and 68,501 service voters, with 4,18,541 postal votes already received, State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Archana Patnaik said.
Furthermore, 62 counting centres have already been established to ensure a smooth process after the high-stakes voting concludes.
Security has been further intensified in several districts, including Karur, where authorities have identified sensitive and vulnerable polling booths. A multi-layered security arrangement has been put in place, involving local police, central armed forces, and flying squads.
The electoral arena is currently dominated by the ruling DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, where Chief Minister MK Stalin and Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin are campaigning on a platform of "Dravidian Model" governance and welfare delivery, supported by long-time allies like the Congress and VCK.
Formidable opposition comes from the AIADMK, led by Edappadi K. Palaniswami, who is showing up with a more united opposition after allying itself with the BJP. This traditional rivalry can be shaken up with the wild-card entry of actor-turned-politician Vijay and his newly launched Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), which has decided to contest in every seat.
Chief Minister MK Stalin has led a high-decibel campaign, framing the polls as "Delhi vs Tamil Nadu" to challenge the AIADMK-BJP alliance. Pitching "Dravidian Model 2.0," he seeks a renewed mandate to further advance the state's developmental agenda.
Source: India Latest News, Breaking News Today, Top News Headlines | Times Now
