Over 57 million voters to decide fate of 4,023 candidates in Tamil Nadu today

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like The stage is set for the people of Tamil Nadu to decide upon the constitution of their 17th state assembly. Polling across the state’s 234 assembly constituencies will be held on Thursday. A polling official leaves for his booth after collecting EVM and VVPAT units in Chennai on Wednesday. (PTI)The state’s total electorate currently comprises of 57,343,291 voters, including 29,304,905 women, 28,030,658 men and 7,728 transgenders. They will determine the fate of a total 4,023 candidates across political parties, out of whom 3,579 are men, 443 are women and one candidate is transgender, according to election affidavit data. Karur constituency has the most candidates this time, with 79 names in the fray. In terms of the electorate, Sholinganallur has the highest number of electors (536, 991) while Harbour constituency has the lowest (116,896), according to data from the Election Commission of India. On Wednesday, polling officials busied themselves in the transport and setup of EVMs and other election paraphernalia in the 75,064 polling booths across the state. According to chief electoral officer Archana Patnaik, over 147,000 state police personnel have been deployed to maintain tight vigils at all booths. Polling will commence at 7am and conclude at 6pm, she added. The poll panel has deployed around 1,700 CAPF companies for the elections, officials said. According to Patnaik, a state media control room comprising of 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 crack down on violations to the Model Code of Conduct. “437 social media, 129 print media and 100 electronic media complaints were received and addressed so far,” she said. She added that an operational control room, headed by 2 district revenue officers, and comprising of 30 members, was in placeto monitor the movement of GPS- enabled vehicles dispatched to polling booths. “5,849 complaints related to issued regarding candidates’ expenditure were received and closed across districts up till April 21,” said the CEO. A master control room comprising of 18 revenue district revenue officers and their teams was also in place to monitor polling through live webcasts, she said, adding that a total of over 15 million CCTV cameras were installed across polling booths, with each booth having one camera installed outside and one inside the building. Meanwhile, the state transport department on Wednesday announced that an additional special fleet of 6,234 buses would be operational on polling day to enable voters across the state to travel to their constituencies easily. The Southern Railway has also announced the operation of three special trains, in view of the poll schedule. The contest is primarily between the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led Secular Progressive Alliance and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhgam (AIADMK)-led National Democratic Alliance. The entry of actor-politician Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has, however, spiced up the contest. Among the 4,023 candidates in the fray are chief minister MK Stalin, who is contesting from Kolathur in Chennai, eyeing a second consecutive term for his party, his son and deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin, who is in the poll fray from Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni, AIADMK general secretary and the leader of opposition in the outgoing state assembly Edappadi K Palaniswami is contesting from Edappadi in Salem district. 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 in the fray from Bodinayakanur and Gobichettipalayam, on a DMK and TVK ticket respectively. In 2021, the DMK-led alliance swept the polls, winning 159 of the state’s 234 seats, while the AIADMK-led coalition managed to secure 75 seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is contesting in 27 seats under the NDA umbrella, with former Telangana governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, who is contesting from Mylapore, and current state party chief Nainar Nagendran, who is contesting from Sattur, among prominent candidates in the pray. On the last day of campaigning on Tuesday, the leaders heading both alliances— chief minister Stalin and leader of opposition in the outgoing assembly, Palaniswami —made last-ditch appeals to voters. “The day to write the future of our Tamil Nadu is coming. No one can deceive you. You know what is truth and what is a lie, what is acting and what is hard work,” Stalin said in a video appeal he shared on X, whereas Palaniswami added a slew of promises to AIADMK’s manifesto, including a promise to maintain 24x7 war rooms in district headquarters for the safety of women and minimum support price for mango farmers. The votes will be counted on May 4.