Tamil Nadu elections: Star-studded voting day, Vijay appeals to EC, robot greets voters – Top developments | India News
Voting across 234 constituencies for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections saw brisk turnout, with long queues at several polling stations and steady turnout reported in urban and rural pockets.The day also saw a strong public focus on high-profile voting with top political leaders, celebrities and first-time voters turning out in large numbers across Chennai, Salem, Coimbatore and other districts.TVK chief Vijay also drew attention after writing to the Election Commission to extend the polling time citing delays and slow pace at multiple booths due to long queues.In a notable highlight, a robot dressed in traditional Tamil attire was deployed at a Chennai polling station to welcome voters, adding technology-driven charm to the voting process.More than 5.7 crore voters are deciding the fate of more than 4,000 candidates in the closely watched three-way contest between the DMK-led alliance, the AIADMK-led NDA and actor Vijay’s TVK, which is making its electoral debut.
Stable voter turnout across the district
Polling stations across Tamil Nadu saw steady voter turnout throughout the day, with long queues reported in many areas. Election Commission data indicated increasing participation from the morning, reaching 56.81 percent at 1 pm, with several districts recording brisk voting activity across urban and rural areas.
Top leaders voted in advance
Chief Minister MK Stalin, Deputy CM Udayanidhi Stalin, AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami, TVK Pradhan Vijay and senior leaders including P Chidambaram, Kanimozhi, Ambumani Ramadoss were among the early voters. Stalin urged citizens to participate, saying “Tamil Nadu will win.”
Star power dominates on polling 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 across Chennai and other districts. Many actors have encouraged responsible voting and civic participation.
Victory flag seeks delayed, longer polling time
TVK Pradhan Vijay, who is contesting the election, has written to the Election Commission to extend the polling time by two hours, citing long queues and slow voting at several booths across Tamil Nadu. In his letter to the Chief Election Commissioner, he said, “There have been reports of voters waiting in long queues to vote, but the polling process is slow,” and called for intervention to prevent inconvenience to voters.He called for better supervision and deployment of designated officers to ensure smoother crowd management and more efficient polling, adding that delays could discourage voters from exercising their franchise.
Robot greets voters at Vellore booth
At a polling station in Vellore’s Government Muslim Higher Secondary School, a robot dressed in traditional Tamil attire was deployed to welcome voters. The initiative attracted attention as it welcomed citizens coming to cast their votes, highlighting a technology-driven approach to voter participation.
Three-way political rivalry is intensifying
The main contest is between the ruling DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance and the AIADMK-led NDA, with actor Vijay’s TVK trying to emerge as a third force in its electoral debut. DMK leader A Raja claimed that the alliance could win more than 200 seats, while opposition leaders expressed confidence in returning to power.
Polling Logistics and Security
The Election Commission has deployed central and state forces with EVMs and VVPAT systems across more than 75,000 polling stations. Special facilities were provided for elderly voters, first-time voters and persons with disabilities, more than 3.6 lakh workers on election duty.
May 4 results
Polling will end at 6 pm with counting of votes scheduled on May 4. The outcome will determine whether the DMK retains power, the AIADMK makes a comeback, or the TVK disrupts Tamil Nadu’s traditional Dravidian political system.
