Polling has begun for all 234 assembly seats in Tamil Nadu. Voting began at 7 AM and will continue till 6 PM. Over 5.73 crore voters will decide the electoral fate of 4,023 candidates in the fray.  

 

Chief Electoral Officer Archana Patnaik said that extensive, multi-layered, and comprehensive arrangements are made by the Election Commission to ensure smooth, orderly, and peaceful polling in the state. More than 75 thousand polling stations have been established across the state to facilitate voter participation and ensure accessibility.

 

Security arrangements have been significantly strengthened and scaled up, with the deployment of about 84 thousand police personnel across the state at polling stations, strong rooms, and other sensitive locations to maintain law and order. In addition to this, 300 companies of CAPF, including CRPF personnel, have been stationed across sensitive and vulnerable areas to maintain peace and prevent any untoward incidents during the polling process.

 

Flying squads, surveillance teams, and static monitoring units have been actively deployed and are continuously working across districts to check violations of the Model Code of Conduct and to respond promptly to any complaints.

 

Mobile phones will not be allowed inside polling stations, and special arrangements have been made at polling booths for voters to safely deposit their devices before entering the polling premises to cast their votes.

 

The results of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, along with Assam, Kerala and Puducherry, will be declared on May 4.