The Tamil Nadu Assembly elections saw strong participation in voting across 234 constituencies, with long queues seen at many polling stations and steady turnout in urban and rural areas.The day saw high-profile voting, with top political leaders, celebrities and first-time voters turning out to vote in large numbers in Chennai, Salem, Coimbatore and other districts.TVK chief Vijay had also written a letter to the Election Commission demanding extension of voting time, citing delays and slow pace due to long queues at many booths.In a notable attraction, a robot dressed in traditional Tamil attire was deployed at a Chennai polling booth to welcome voters, adding a tech-driven charm to the voting process.Over 5.7 crore voters are deciding the fate of over 4,000 candidates in the triangular contest between the DMK-led alliance, the AIADMK-led NDA and actor Vijay’s TVK, which is set to kick off the polls.

Stable voting in all districts

Polling stations across Tamil Nadu witnessed continuous voting throughout the day, with long queues reported in many areas. Election Commission data indicated that participation has been increasing since the morning, reaching 56.81 per cent by 1 pm, with many districts recording brisk voting activity in urban and rural areas.

Top leaders cast their votes early

Chief Minister MK Stalin, Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin, AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami, TVK chief Vijay and senior leaders including P Chidambaram, Kanimozhi, Anbumani Ramadoss were among the early voters. Stalin urged citizens to participate, saying, “Tamil Nadu will win.”

Star power dominated the voting day

Kollywood celebrities added major visibility to the election process. Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Vijay, Sivakarthikeyan, Ajith Kumar, Suriya, Dhanush, Vikram, Jeeva, Sasikumar, RJ Balaji, Trisha, Anirudh Ravichander and many others cast their votes in Chennai and other districts. Many actors also encouraged responsible voting and civic participation.

Vijay hints at delay, demands more time for voting

TVK chief Vijay, who is contesting the elections, has written a letter to the Election Commission demanding extension of polling time by two hours, citing long queues and slow voting at many booths in Tamil Nadu. In his letter to the Chief Election Commissioner, he said, “There are reports from polling centers that voters are waiting in long queues to cast their votes, but the voting process is slow,” and urged intervention to prevent inconvenience to voters.He also called for better supervision and deployment of designated officers to ensure smooth crowd management and more efficient polling, and said delays could discourage voters from exercising their franchise.

Robot welcomes voters at Vellore booth

A robot dressed in traditional Tamil attire was deployed to welcome voters at a polling booth at the Government Muslim Higher Secondary School in Vellore. The initiative attracted attention as it welcomed citizens to come to vote and highlighted a tech-driven approach to voter participation.

Triangular political competition has intensified

The main contest is between the ruling DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance and the AIADMK-led NDA, while actor Vijay’s TVK is attempting to emerge as the third force in its electoral debut. DMK leader A Raja claimed that the alliance could get more than 200 seats, while opposition leaders expressed confidence of returning to power.

Voting Logistics and Security

The Election Commission deployed central and state forces along with EVM and VVPAT systems at over 75,000 polling stations. With over 3.6 lakh personnel on election duty, special facilities were arranged for elderly voters, first-time voters and persons with disabilities.

Results on 4th May

Voting will end at 6 pm, counting of votes will take place on May 4. The outcome will determine whether the DMK will retain power, the AIADMK will make a comeback, or whether the TVK will disrupt the traditional Dravidian political system in Tamil Nadu.