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April 19, 2024 01:00 am | Updated 11:32 am IST
Polling began in all the 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu on April 19 in the first phase of the 2024 general elections as the BJP’s ambition to emerge as a force challenging Dravidian parties in the State will be tested. The BJP drew a blank in 2019.
In 2019, the DMK-led alliance won 39 of the 40 seats in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Nearly 6.23 crore electors in Tamil Nadu will cast their votes, with 950 candidates in the fray.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the State multiple times during election campaigns, as the BJP sought a foothold in the State. However, the leading contenders are still the Dravidian majors, the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam( AIADMK).
The BJP, which has allied with a few smaller parties, has sought to upend the State’s conventional politics, which has so far been indifferent to Hindutva politics, by taking the ruling DMK head-on for its alleged insult of Sanatan Dharma besides involvement in corruption. The Prime Minister visited many temples in the run-up to the elections, especially in the days ahead of the Ram temple consecration ceremony in January.
Chief Minister M. K. Stalin has dismissed all the buzz around the BJP as propaganda, while terming the fight against the national party as a battle for democracy’s survival in the country.
Around 10.24 lakh voters in Puducherry will choose their nominee for the lone seat from 26 contestants. All four leading contestants advocated for Statehood for the Union Territory in their campaigns.
Kanniyakumari BJP candidate Pon. Radhakrishnan, after casting his vote at a polling booth at the SLB government higher secondary school in Nagercoil, said that there were apprehensions about possible booth capturing in the Kanniyakumari constituency.
Mr. Radhakrishnan is contesting against incumbent MP Vijay Vasanth, who has been fielded by the Congress once again, and the NTK’s Maria Jennifer Clara Michael.
A large number of voters arrived at all the 967 polling booths across the four regions of the Union Territory to exercise their franchise for the Puducherry Lok Sabha constituency on Friday.
Barring a few polling booths in Kamaraj Nagar and Veerampattinam areas, voting commenced promptly at 7 a.m.Election officials said around 14 per cent of the total electorate of 10,23,699 exercised their franchise as of 10.30 a.m.
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Shakunthala Thiyagarajan, 55, of Patel Road in Perambur claimed that the names of all four members of her family including herself, were not on the electoral rolls for the first time.
Rajkumar, 54, another resident of Perambur constituency also had a similar complaint: “I am a sectional engineer in the Chennai Division of the Southern Railway but my name was not on the list,” he said.
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Tamil Nadu Minister Thangam Thennarasu, along with his family, cast his vote at his hometown, Mallankinaru, falling under the Tiruchuli Assembly constituency, in Virudhunagar district, for the Ramanathapuram Lok Sabha seat.
“People are coming out enthusiastically to vote to bring about a change of guard at the Centre in order to protect the democracy,” he said.
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Minor technical glitches delayed polling at 10 polling booths here, after which polling began on a rather dull note in the 1,895 booths in Virudhunagar district.
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Virudhunagar Returning Officer V.P. Jeyaseelan, said polling was proceeding smoothly at most of the 1,689 polling stations in the constituency. Residents of six villages: Peikulam, Sennampatti, Odaipatti, Melappatti, Vellakulam and Solampatti in the Tirumangalam Assembly Constituency in Madurai district however, boycotted the poll complaining that their demand for the shutting down of a protein manufacturing factory was not met by the authorities. They complained that the unit was ruining their farming and was emitting a foul odour.
“Of the six polling booths, voters gave up the protest and cast their votes at three booths. Officials are holding talks with the rest of the voters as well,” Mr. Jeyaseelan said.
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The Krishnagiri Town Police have registered an FIR against S. K. Nawab, a local DMK functionary, and Kesavan, an AIADMK worker, for allegedly collecting voter slips and distributing cash to voters prior to polling in the city’s Fort area on Thursday night, and for an altercation that ensued between the two.
The 39 constituencies across Tamil Nadu recorded a total of 12.55% polling as of 9 a.m. on Friday. Malfunctioning EVMs delayed polling at several polling stations. While Kallakurichi registered the highest polling percentage of 15.1%, Chennai Central saw the least at 8.59%.
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Five O. Panneerselvams are contesting from the Ramanathapuram Lok Sabha constituency. For voters, this presented a challenge in finding the name of the former CM, who is contesting this time as an independent, under the jackfruit symbol, with the support of the BJP.
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EVMs at the Bygamund in Muthorai Palada in the Nilgiris malfunctioned, and caused a delay in polling by 45 minutes. Since it had rained here last night, voters did not have to bear the brunt of the heat, as they have had to, elsewhere in the State.
EVM malfunctioning was also reported at one booth at Pollachi and another at Valparai.
Saravanan, a voter with a disability who uses a wheelchair, could not cast his own vote at the Chennai Boys Higher Secondary School, Royapettah as the EVM was not accessible. His mother had to cast his vote for him. There were also reports of rusty and dirty wheelchairs at some polling booths in the capital city.
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Not a single person has cast their vote at Vengaivayal and Iraiyur villages in Pudukottai district.
Dalit residents of Vengaivayal had threatened to boycott the Lok Sabha election, citing the failure of the police to arrest the culprits who were involved in mixing human faeces in the overhead drinking water tank at the village in December 2022.
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Polling stations in Katchiperumanatham and Mudhanai near Vriddhachalam in the Cuddalore Lok Sabha constituency wore a deserted look as not even a single voter from the two villages has stepped out to vote since morning. Residents of the two villages have demanded a separate panchayat. Subsequently, officials managed to convince voters of Mudhanai to exercise their franchise. Talks are underway with voters of Katchiperumanatham
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Voters arriving at the V.O. Chidambaranar Government Higher Secondary School, which is among the ensemble of heritage buildings on Mission Street in Puducherry, were greeted by a display of antiques, papier mache exhibits made by school students and eco-friendly messages.
The VOC school is the unique polling station on the list of about 110 special polling stations in the Union Territory of Puducherry that include all-women-managed pink booths and stations managed by youth/persons with disabilities.
A large chunk of voters served by the polling station are from Christian missions/schools in the neighbourhood.
A fleet of seven cars, a bus and three e-rickshaws operated by women drivers have been deployed to transport elderly/disadvantaged voters from home to the polling station and back.
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Puducherry Home Minister and BJP candidate for the Puducherry Lok Sabha seat A. Namassivayam cast his vote at the Government High School, V. Manaveli in Puducherry.
Mr. Namassivayam is up against sitting MP and Congress candidate V. Vaithilingam.
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Members of the public staged a protest on Friday morning in front of the Singanallur bus stand in Coimbatore city, demanding bus services to the southern districts, to travel and cast their votes at their hometowns.
They said there were no TNSTC buses available. “We have been waiting for three hours for a bus to Madurai. Private operators are charging a minimum ₹500,” said one commuter, Kanmani.
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A TNSTC official said the drivers and conductors were given one hour to cast their votes and come. Buses would soon be operational, the official said.
Reports by Soundarya Preetha, The Hindu
Bharatiya Janata Party South Chennai candidate Tamilisai Soundrajan cast her vote in Saligramam in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections.Voting is underway in all 39 seats in Tamil Nadu today.
Ms.Soundararajan is pitted against DMK’s incumbent MP Thamizhachi Thangapandian and AIADMK’s J. Jayavardhan.
After casting her vote, she said, “I am happy to cast my vote. For the past 30 years, this has been my booth. I appeal to all the citizens to come and vote because that is our right. Today is the holiday to cast our vote, not to enjoy. That is my humble appeal. When people vote, qualified and good people can be elected.”
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First-time voters are coming forward in large numbers to cast their votes. They will play a crucial role in India’s growth in the coming years. The arrangements made by the Election Commission for voting, are satisfactory, said L. Murugan, Union Minister of State for Fisheries and the BJP’s candidate for the Nilgiris Lok Sabha constituency, after casting his vote in Chennai.
DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin cast his vote at SIET Women’s College in Teynampet in Chennai.
Speaking to media persons, he urged voters to exercise their franchise without fail. “I have exercised my right to vote. I urge everyone to come out and cast their vote without fail, he said, adding, “India will win.”
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Barring a few instances of technical glitches in the EVMs, polling started at the polling stations in the Tirunelveli parliamentary constituency promptly at 7 a.m. on Friday.
As the EVM in one of the 3 booths in the Muslim Higher Secondary School, Melapalayam broke down, this led to a delay in polling here. Technicians were informed but did not reach the booth till 8 a.m., leaving voters waiting in queues.
Even though each booth has been provided with a wheelchair to assist senior citizens and persons with disabilities, the presiding officer of the booth in Jayaraj Annapackiyam Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Palayamkottai did not even unbox the wheelchair, causing difficulties for two disabled men and one 80-year-old woman, as they had to be helped into the booth by other voters,
When voters waiting in the queue asked the Presiding Officer to open the box and use the wheelchair, he merely replied that he would open it when the necessity arose. Agitated over this two young men in the queue entered the booth, opened the box and placed the wheelchair near the ramp.
-Sudhakar, The Hindu
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For the first time since Independence, a significant change in the transportation method has marked the electoral process in the hilly regions of the Dharmapuri Parliamentary constituency, in Kotturmalai and Erimalai.
Traditionally reliant on donkeys for the transportation of EVMs, the District Election Officer, K. Shanthi, highlighted the adoption of tractors for this crucial task now, signalling a departure from the longstanding practice.
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A polling booth in S. Eripalayam near Panruti in Cuddalore district was completely empty as of 8 a.m. on voting day, as not a single resident has turned up to vote so far. The residents here had called for a poll boycott in protest against the District Administration’s indifference to their demand for a separate Panchayat.
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Polling was stopped for the second time at a polling booth at the Tiruvallur primary school in Pudupettai village near Gudiyatham in Vellore on Friday due to a glitch in the EVM. Officials are on the job of replacing the EVM. Polling was also delayed at the C. Kandaswami Naidu College in Anna Nagar, Chennai.
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Voting was delayed at the Government Primary school in Vedharanyam Municipality, in the Nagattinam constituency due to malfunctioning EVMs. Voters were restless and impatient, as they had to wait in queues in the searing heat for election officials to ensure working EVMs were brought in.
Polling was also delayed by over 30 minutes at a polling booth at the Corporation School in Periya Milaguparai in Tiruchi, due a to glitch in the EVM. Officials here are on the job of replacing the EVM, say police sources.
Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister P. Chidambaram cast his vote at Kandanur in Sivaganga district. His son Karti Chidambaram is the Congress candidate from the Sivaganga Lok Sabha constituency, seeking a second term.
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Polling began at 7 a.m. at the Erode Parliamentary constituency at 1,688 polling stations. A total of 15,38,778 electors in the Assembly constituencies of Kumarapalayam, Erode (East), Erode (West), Modakkurichi, Dharapuram and Kangayam are eligible to exercise their franchise. A total of 31 candidates are in the fray including K.E. Prakash of the DMK, Ashok Kumar of the AIADMK, P. Vijayakumar of the Tamil Manila Congress (TMC) and M. Karmegam of Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK).
-S.P. Saravanan, The Hindu
The malfunctioning of electronic voting machines (EVMs) has delayed the start of polling in at least three booths in Ariyalur and Jayamkondam Assembly segments, parts of the Chidambaram Lok Sabha constituency, where VCK founder Thol. Thirumavalavan is taking on M. Chandrakasan of the AIADMK.
Voters have been waiting for more than 45 minutes to cast their votes at a polling booth at Sirukadavur near Sendurai and two booths at Keelaiyur near Ariyalur, reports C. Jaisankar, The Hindu
In Central Tamil Nadu, polling commenced in Tiruchi and Perambalur Lok Sabha constituencies amidst tight security arrangements. MDMK candidate Durai Vaiko and AIADMK candidate Karuppaiah are in the fray in the Tiruchi constituency, reports The Hindu’s C. Jaisankar.
The IJK founder and sitting MP T.R. Paarivendhar, who is contesting on the BJP symbol and DMK candidate K.N. Arun, son of Municipal Administration Minister K.N. Nehru, are fighting in the Perambalur constituency.
Voters have been queuing up to cast their ballots at the Government Primary School in Dharmapuri since 6:30 a.m. on April 19. “I want to be one of the first to cast my vote here,” one of the voters said.
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Google on Friday, April 19, 2024, marked the beginning of the first phase of the general elections in India with a doodle that featured an inked finger. When clicked it led the users to top stories on the first phase of the Lok Sabha polls.
The Google doodle’s reach comes on the day the world’s largest democratic exercise kicked off in the day.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged voters to exercise their franchise in record numbers as the seven-phase Lok Sabha polls started with polling being held in 102 constituencies.
“The 2024 Lok Sabha elections commence today! As 102 seats across 21 States and UTs go to the polls, I urge all those voting in these seats to exercise their franchise in record numbers,” he said in a post on X.
He added, “I particularly call upon the young and first-time voters to vote in large numbers. After all, every vote counts and every voice matters!” Mr. Modi added in Tamil.
Polling has begun for the lone Lok Sabha Parliamentary seat of Puducherry.
There are 10,23,699 electors in the 30 Assembly constituencies in the four regions of Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam.
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AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami said “People should exercise their democratic right“, after casting his vote in Salem.
The AIADMK walked out of the BJP-led NDA ahead of the polls and eventually entered into an electoral understanding with the DMDK, founded by late actor-politician Vijayakanth, and a few other parties.
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An analysis of economic, social and environmental indicators of Tamil Nadu, which is headed to the national polls this Friday, shows that the State has recorded a holistic development across periods.
While on the one side, it features among the top major States in various indicators which measure child-health, women empowerment and educational attainment, the State also features among the top major States in economic performance, strongly supported by its manufacturing sector.
The State should concentrate on sustainable development as its better economic performance has come at a cost with it lagging in environment-related indicators.
Besides the 190 companies of central armed police force personnel positioned across the State, about 1.3 lakh police personnel, including State police, armed police and home guards sourced from Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Telangana have also been deployed.
Priority would be given for senior citizens, differently-abled persons and pregnant women so that they need not wait for a long time in the queues, as per the guidelines issued by the Election Commission, said Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo.
Over 1.58 lakh ballot units, over 81,000 control units and more than 86,000 VVPAT units are available in Tamil Nadu, and engineers from BEL have been deployed in case of issues in them.
Of the 68,321 polling stations across Tamil Nadu, 8,050 have been identified as ‘vulnerable’ and another 181 have been marked as ‘critical’. Webcasting of polling has been arranged at over 44,000 booths, which is about 65% of the total number of stations.
“Polling will commence at 7 a.m. and continue till 6 p.m. Those, who are in the queue will be issued tokens as of 6 p.m., and will then be allowed to vote,” Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo told reporters.
The electorate of Tamil Nadu stands at 6.23 crore, including 3.17 crore women, 3.06 crore men and 8,467 transpersons. About 10.92 lakh are in the 18-19 age group.
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One constant feature of Tamil Nadu politics is that there is no dearth of excitement and, at times, even sensationalism. The 2024 Lok Sabha election too is no exception.
The indications of the State headed towards at least a three-cornered contest were evident even in late September when the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), the principal Opposition party, walked out of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and announced that it would form a “mega alliance.” Initially, it had anticipated a migration from the coalition headed by the ruling DMK, the AIADMK’s bête noire, but the latter has remained as cohesive as in the past. Eventually, the AIADMK entered into electoral understanding with the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), founded by actor-politician Vijayakanth, and a few others.
Tamil Nadu / General Elections 2024 / election / politics / All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam / Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam / Bharatiya Janata Party / state politics / voting
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