Chennai: In the high-stakes Tamil Nadu elections, 37.56% votes were polled till 11 am on Thursday. According to reports, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam leader Vijay has sought two-hour extension of polling period from the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Over 5.73 crore voters will decide the electoral fate of 4,023 candidates in the fray in the state assembly.
The contest
primarily pits the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance against the AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance. Chief Minister MK Stalin is seeking to retain power. AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami is fighting to return to the treasury benches after five years.
Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Archana Patnaik had said earlier that the state was fully prepared for the democratic exercise. “The total electoral strength stands at 5.73 crore, comprising 2.93 women, 2.83 crore men, and 7,728 third-gender persons,” Patnaik had said, as quoted by The Hindu.
Delegates of the International Election Visitors’ Programme (IEVP) 2026 visited Tamil Nadu on April 22 and 23 to witness the polling process. A total of 34 delegates from 17 countries had visited.