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After months of aggressive campaigning, Tamil Nadu is set to witness a pivotal electoral battle on Thursday. The state is poised for a multi-cornered contest as traditional Dravidian parties face a significant challenge from the rising influence of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, testing their historical grip on the region.
The campaigns are over, the rallies have ended, and the silence has set in, but the tension is anything but quiet. Over 5.67 crore voters will decide the fate of 234 constituencies on April 23, with the final verdict arriving on May 4. Polling will take place from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm across the state. The political landscape remains charged with anticipation over whether the DMK's "Rising Sun" will continue its rule or if the AIADMK's "Two Leaves" will regain its footing, or a cinematic "TVK" entry will switch up the political balance. Polling preparations are in full swing as anticipated voter turnout is expected to exceed usual levels. For election duty, 1,20,000 police personnel and 3,40,000 government staff have been deployed. The state's electorate comprises over 5.73 crore voters, featuring 2,93,04,905 female voters, 2,80,30,658 male voters, and 7,728 third-gender voters. The poll body is also catering to 14,59,039 first-time voters and 68,501 service voters, with 4,18,541 postal votes already received, State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Archana Patnaik said. Furthermore, 62 counting centres have already been established to ensure a smooth process after the high-stakes voting concludes. Security has been further intensified in several districts, including Karur, where authorities have identified sensitive and vulnerable polling booths. A multi-layered security arrangement has been put in place, involving local police, central armed forces, and flying squads. The electoral arena is currently dominated by the ruling DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, where Chief Minister MK Stalin and Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin are campaigning on a platform of "Dravidian Model" governance and welfare delivery, supported by long-time allies like the Congress and VCK. Formidable opposition comes from the AIADMK, led by Edappadi K. Palaniswami, who is showing up with a more united opposition after allying itself with the BJP. This traditional rivalry can be shaken up with the wild-card entry of actor-turned-politician Vijay and his newly launched Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), which has decided to contest in every seat. Chief Minister MK Stalin has led a high-decibel campaign, framing the polls as "Delhi vs Tamil Nadu" to challenge the AIADMK-BJP alliance. Pitching "Dravidian Model 2.0," he seeks a renewed mandate to further advance the state's developmental agenda. This narrative ties into a familiar Dravidian political theme--state rights versus central authority--which continues to resonate strongly with urban voters in Chennai. Backing him, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has likened the AIADMK to "puppets" of the BJP, who are trying to infiltrate the Tamil Nadu political arena through this coalition. He has called the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's (DMK) manifesto for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections a "superstar," announcing a slew of welfare measures with a focus on women, families, youth, and farmers. The manifesto focuses on "smart economic multipliers," ensuring monetary support boosts local economies, supports small businesses, enhances skills, and drives long-term outcomes, while maintaining a balance between development and welfare. The AIADMK-BJP alliance has retaliated with equal fervour, asserting that only their combined can "end the rule of one family and bring in corruption-free, good governance." Family politics has emerged as a central theme for the opposition, with BJP leaders intensifying their critique of MK Stalin's alleged plans to install his son and Deputy CM, Udhayanidhi Stalin, as his successor. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also accused the DMK leadership of fostering a "by the family, of the family, and for the family" culture, claiming that such nepotism has placed a massive economic burden on the people of Tamil Nadu. Swinging big with a manifesto with 297 promises, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami is running on the pitch of better welfare for women, monthly support for families and better travelling facilities. Along with this, the BJP has promised to tackle crimes against women through streamlined zero-FIR reporting, victim-witness protection, Special Fast-Track Courts for heinous cases, including sexual offences, 100 per cent blind-spot-free CCTV in buses, schools and universities, and optimised Nirbhaya Fund utilisation. The stakes in individual seats are just as high as the overall numbers. CM Stalin, who is contesting on a Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) ticket from Kolthur, faces a serious multi-cornered challenge from Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam's (TVK) VS Babu and AIADMK's P Santhana Krishnan. Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni is also back in focus with Deputy CM Udhyanidhi Stalin seeking a fresh mandate from a seat that has long been seen as a stronghold of the DMK. The Edappadi assembly constituency in Salem district is also a critical battleground because it serves as the political home of AIADMK General Secretary and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, who is now seeking a sixth term. In a bold move, TVK chief Vijay is contesting the polls from two seats, Tiruchirappalli East and Perambur. Bhartiya Janata Party's (BJP) Nainar Nagendran is looking to secure the Sattur constituency. Another development which caused a stir in the political realm is that the aggressive "Singham" of the Tamil Nadu BJP, K Annamalai, who was widely expected to lead the charge, is conspicuously absent from the roster. The AIADMK, which leads the alliance, will contest 169 of the 234 seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will contest 27 seats, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) 18, Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) 11, Tamil Maanila Congress five, Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi (IJK) one, and Puratchi Bharatham one seat. Meanwhile, the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance boasts a seat-sharing formula where the DMK will contest 164 seats, leaving 70 seats for allies out of the 234 total seats. The Congress is the primary ally with 28 seats, followed by DMDK (10), VCK (8), and CPI/CPM (5 each). In the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) won with 133 seats. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) followed with 66 seats. Congress stood at 18 seats. The state saw a voter turnout of 76.6 per Cent. Will Stalin's DMK hold its grip on power? Will Palaniswami and the AIADMK pull off a comeback for the ages? Or will Vijay's TVK do the unthinkable and gate-crash a political system that has been dominated by the same two parties for decades? The answers for the state's future would be revealed on May 4. (ANI)
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