Tuesday marked the end of the high-intensity poll campaign for the April 23 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. With this, the compulsory "silent period" comes into effect 48 hours ahead of the day people vote. This means that the political parties and candidates cannot hold meetings, processions, or issue campaign-related advertisements now. The voting is scheduled for April 23, and the results will follow on May 4.
The model code of conduct is already in place since the announcement of the assembly election and will continue till the election process is completed.
Police security arrangements have been tightened in sensitive places in Tamil Nadu.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin signed off the campaign by interacting with voters of the Kolathur constituency from where he is contesting. Later, he posted a video on ‘X’ stating he will be a "danger" to those who betray Tamil Nadu and want to hinder its growth. During his campaign, he also took a dig at the Central Government over the delimitation issue. In Tuticorin, DMK Deputy General Secretary and MP Kanimozhi exuded confidence that the DMK would return to power.
With two days left for the Assembly elections, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, who heads the NDA in the state, wound up his campaign in western TN, making a fervent call to the people to oust the "corrupt DMK regime" and end "family rule" in the state.
Though issues like development, family rule, and corruption allegations dominated the nearly month-long electrifying campaign, the delimitation exercise assumed the centre stage.
Two powerful alliances - the Secular Progressive Alliance led by DMK chief M K Stalin, and the National Democratic Alliance led by AIADMK chief K Palaniswami are pitted against each other, promising a tough contest. While the DMK is contesting 164 seats (out of 234 constituencies) and its allies are fighting it out in 70 constituencies, the AIADMK is contesting from 169 seats and its allies are contesting from 65 seats.
What makes the election more interesting this time is the presence of actor Vijay-led fledgling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam in the fray from all the constituencies. The ruling DMK had roped in actor-politician Kamal Haasan, who heads the Makkal Needhi Maiam, to campaign against Vijay, who is contesting from Perambur and Tiruchirappalli East constituencies, hoping to make it to the assembly in his maiden electoral debut.
Former film director Seeman-led Naam Tamilar Katchi is also contesting from all the 234 seats.
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, his Maharashtra counterpart Devendra Fadnavis, Bhajanlal Sharma (Rajasthan) and Revanth Reddy (Telangana), former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal besides Stalin, Palaniswami and Deputy CM Udhayanidhi crisscrossed the state holding roadshows and campaigning for candidates in their respective alliance.
A total of 4,023 candidates are in the fray. A total of 5,73,43,291 electors are expected to exercise their franchise.
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