"DMK alliance will return to power in Tamil Nadu": Congress' Girish Chodankar ahead of vote count

Speaking to ANI, the Congress leader on Sunday expressed confidence, saying the DMK alliance will form a government and create history in Tamil Nadu.

"We are confident that our DMK alliance will form the government and create history in Tamil Nadu. We are very confident that we will come back to power," he said.

Chodankar added that while the alliance respects exit polls, it does not agree with their projections.

"We respect all the exit polls, but we don't accept them. Our position will be much better than what is predicted. We are directly connected with the voters. The performance that the government has given and the development that the government has made over the past five years is a big argument for the people. People have already voted for us," he said.

His remarks come as several pollsters, including People Pulse, Matrize, and P-MARQ, have projected a comfortable majority for the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) in the 234-member Assembly. Most exit polls estimate the alliance securing between 120 and 145 seats, while the AIADMK-led NDA is projected to trail with 60 to 100 seats.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu witnessed strong voter turnout in the recently concluded polls, with several districts recording high participation. According to the Election Commission of India, the overall turnout stood at 82.24 per cent, reflecting significant voter engagement across urban and rural constituencies.

The Assembly elections saw a direct contest between the DMK-led alliance, which includes the Congress and other regional parties, and the AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

The counting of votes will begin today across the state at 8:00 am with postal ballots, followed by EVM counting at 8:30 am, with results to be updated in real time on ECINET and the official election portal. (ANI)