Page 3 - Tamil Nadu Elections

Exit polls predict tight finish in WB; mixed signals from TN outcome

The current round of Assembly polls in four states -- Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal -- and the Union Territory of Puducherry concluded on Wednesday evening

Exit polls: DMK seen retaining power in Tamil Nadu; NDA leads in Puducherry

Exit polls showed the DMK+ retaining power in Tamil Nadu with AIADMK+ trailing, while the NDA held an edge in Puducherry

TN poll promises of free appliances raise fiscal sustainability concerns

Currently, domestic consumers in Tamil Nadu receive the first 100 units of electricity free of charge

ECI set to release exact voter turnout for 234-seat TN Assembly polls

The Election Commission is all set to release the exact number of persons who have exercised their franchise in the Tamil Nadu Assembly election, on Saturday. The voter turnout figures will include details of gender divisions: male, female and transgender. The single-phase elections to the 234-seat Tamil Nadu Assembly were held on April 23, and the counting of votes will be held on May 4. In addition, the ECI authorities here will be inspecting all the strong rooms where the EVMs and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) units are kept. A senior ECI official here said that the 85.15 per cent voter turnout figures, released on the date of polling, are not final and they are based on data received from a subset of polling stations. He said the actual number of votes polled at each polling station is formally recorded in Form 17C, which will be cross-verified with the data in the ECI headquarters. The poll authorities have begun scrutinising the total number of voters since Frida

Assembly election in Bengal sees nearly 92% turnout, over 84% voting in TN

West Bengal registered a record voter turnout of nearly 92 per cent in the first phase of assembly polls on Thursday amid sporadic incidents of violence, while Tamil Nadu recorded unprecedented voting of over 84 per cent as the BJP pushed to unseat Mamata Banerjee in Bengal and expand in the South. In the first phase, 152 constituencies in West Bengal went to polls,while voting for the 234-member Tamil Nadu assembly was held in one go. The elections are taking place against the backdrop of a massive political row over the SIR of the electoral rolls, a major flashpoint between the BJP and opposition parties, including the Trinamool Congress (TMC). In West Bengal, the BJP is eyeing to wrest power fromBanerjee-led TMC, which seeks a fourth straight term in a state the saffron partyhas never governed, and in Tamil Nadu, key contenders are the ruling DMK and main opposition AIADMK, while actor-politician Vijay-led TVK and Tamil nationalist Seeman-led NTK are putting up a determined ...

Tamil Nadu, Bengal see highest voter turnout since Independence: EC

Record turnout in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal polls; Election Commission of India hails voters as participation hits historic highs since Independence

Tamil Nadu registers 56.81% turnout, West Bengal sees 62.18% till 1 pm

In West Bengal, Paschim Mednipur district recorded a high turnout of 65.77 per cent followed by Jhargam at 65.31 per cent and Bankura at 64.58

PM Modi appeals to people of Tamil Nadu, Bengal to vote in large numbers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday appealed to the people of Tamil Nadu and West Bengal to "enthusiastically" take part in the voting for the Assembly elections in their states. Modi especially urged the youth and women of the two states to vote in record numbers. Polling has started at all 234 assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu while voting began for 152 assembly seats, out of the 294, in West Bengal this morning. "As Tamil Nadu votes in the Assembly elections, I call upon all voters to take part enthusiastically in this sacred duty of democracy. I urge the youth and the women of Tamil Nadu in particular to come out and vote in record numbers," Modi said in a post on X. The prime minister, in another post, said, "Phase 1 of the West Bengal Assembly elections takes place today. I urge all citizens to participate in this festival of democracy with full strength. I especially appeal to my young friends and to the women of West Bengal to vote in large numbers". The second ph

Assembly polls: Voting begins in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal amid high security

Tamil Nadu Assembly elections are being held in a single phase today, while West Bengal will witness two phases of polling, with the second phase scheduled to take place on April 29

Tamil Nadu's all 234 and West Bengal's 152 seats go to polls today

Over 57 million voters in Tamil Nadu and 36 million in Bengal head to polls amid tight contests, heavy security, and high-stakes battles across key regions

Tamil Nadu 2026 elections: A look at key constituencies and candidates

Tamil Nadu heads into 2026 Assembly elections with high-stakes contests across key constituencies and prominent leaders including MK Stalin, Edappadi K Palaniswami and Vijay shaping the race

Campaigning for Tamil Nadu, West Bengal assembly polls Phase-I ends

The votes polled on April 23 will be taken up for counting on May 4 and results will be ann­ounced

TN poll campaign ends today as high-stakes Assembly battle set for April 23

The high-intensity poll campaign for the April 23 election to the Tamil Nadu Assembly will end at the close of the day on Tuesday, bringing the mandatory silent period. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, and former Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal besides Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi Palaniswami, and Deputy CM son Udhayanidhi crisscrossed the state holding roadshows and campaigning for the AIADMK-led NDA and DMK-led SPA candidates in fray from 234 assembly constituencies. Though issues like development, central fund allocation, family rule, and corruption allegations dominated the nearly month-long electrifying campaign, apart from mutual personal attacks, the countdown to the election date saw the delimitation exercise assuming the centre stage. Two powerful alliances - the Secular Progressive Alliance

TN polls: 18% candidates face criminal cases; 25% crorepatis, says report

Around 18 per cent of the candidates in fray in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections have declared criminal cases against themselves, while 25 percent have assets worth more than Rs one crore, a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) said on Monday. According to the report, out of the 3992 candidates analysed, 722(18 per cent) candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves. Of these, 404 (10 per cent) have declared serious criminal cases. In the 2021 Assembly elections, out of 3559 candidates analysed, 466 (13 per cent) had declared criminal cases against themselves, and 207 (6 per cent) had declared serious criminal cases against themselves. Among the major parties, 118 (69 per cent) out of 170 candidates analysed from the AIADMK, 92 (40 per cent) out of 231 candidates from the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, 70 (40 per cent) out of 175 candidates analysed from the DMK, 16 (48 per cent) out of 33 from the BJP, 14 (50 per cent) out of 28 candidates analysed from t

A 1,100-year-long tryst with democracy: Uthiramerur's push for revival

At Uthiramerur, where democracy took root centuries ago, voters now weigh history against present-day issues as Tamil Nadu's election battle heats up

It's 'jobs first' in Panapakkam: Locals push for hiring, better facilities

Industrial projects lift Panapakkam's profile, but locals demand jobs, storage facilities and water security as key election issues

Poll promises set to test Tamil Nadu's finances over welfare race

Tamil Nadu polls see fierce welfare pitch targeting women and youth, even as strong growth contrasts with rising fiscal pressures

Can Thalapathy Vijay turn celebrity appeal into votes in Tamil Nadu polls?

Actor Vijay's political debut may disrupt Tamil Nadu's two-party system, but analysts say converting popularity into votes remains a key challenge ahead of 2026 polls

Sitharaman accuses Stalin of creating 'false narrative' over paddy bonus

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday said that the Centre had asked the state to review its existing bonus policy and consider discontinuing it on paddy and asked Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman whether she was willing to place the letter in this regard in public domain. Sitharaman, however, said the chief minister's allegation that the union government directed Tamil Nadu not to provide incentives for paddy cultivation "is factually baseless, politically motivated, and a deliberate distortion designed to mislead the farmers of Tamil Nadu." What was communicated to all state Chief Secretaries - not just Tamil Nadu - was a suggestion to align state bonus policies with national priorities, she said in a post on 'X' citing the letter dated January 9, 2026, asking the states to align their bonus policy to promote pulses, oilseeds and millets, in line with the national priorities for nutritional security, Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) and sustainable agriculture. "Th

How delimitation debate puts federalism at centre of Tamil Nadu polls

In Tamil Nadu, delimitation is becoming a major poll issue, with concerns over fairness, representation, and whether southern states will lose political weight