Tamil Nadu election 2021 on April 6, result on May 2; know full schedule

Tamil Nadu election 2021: Since 1967, Tamil Nadu has been ruled by either the DMK or the AIADMK

Tamil Nadu Assembly election will be held in a single phase on April 6, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced on Friday. Tamil Nadu election result will be declared on May 2. The term of the state's 15th legislative assembly will end on May 24, 2021. Voting to take place for 234 seats in Tamil Nadu.

Since 1967, Tamil Nadu has been ruled by either the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) or the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). Although both the parties have fought Assembly elections in alliance with other parties, the alliance parties were not part of the state government. Since then, everal new parties and third fronts have emerged, claiming to be a credible alternative to these parties.

The election for  234 seats in Tamil Nadu will be held in a single phase.

Tamil Nadu election 2021: Full schedule

-Date of issue of gazette notification: March 12

-Last date of nomination: March 19

-Scrutiny of nomination: March 20

-Last date of withdrawal of candidature: March 22 

-Dates of polling: April 6

-Date of counting: May 2
 

Tamil Nadu Assembly election

The legislature has 234 seats. A party has to get 118 seats to form a government. Earlier, the election was held on May 16, 2016, where AIADMK under J. Jayalalithaa won the polls and became the first ruling party to be re-elected in Tamil Nadu, since 1984.

ABOUT TAMIL NADU ASSEMBLY

Since the legislature is unicameral, the terms Tamil Nadu Legislature and Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly are often confused but they are not the same. The Tamil Nadu Legislature is the legislative body while the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly is a part of it and, along with the state Governor, constitutes the Tamil Nadu Legislature.

The Assembly consists of 234 Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs), elected from single-seat constituencies, with five years term, unless dissolved.
 

After the Indian Republic was established in 1950, the Madras Presidency became the Madras State and the earlier bicameral setup continued. The state was renamed Tamil Nadu in 1969 and likewise. the assembly came to be called the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.

Since May 2016, Thiru P Dhanapal has been the Speaker of the Assembly.

ABOUT THE PREVIOUS ASSEMBLY ELECTION

The election was organised and conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) and was held in a single phase on May 16, 2016. The counting of votes was on May 19.

Around 65,500 polling stations in Tamil Nadu were setup. According to the ECI, 62.6 million people were eligible to vote in the upcoming assembly elections in the state. The voter turnout for the 232 constituencies on May 16 was 74.81 per cent.

Ahead of elections, ECI announced that 17 assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu will have Voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) machines attached along with EVMs.