Tamil Nadu elections: Star-studded polling day, Vijay appeals to Election Commission, robots greet voters – Latest developments

Voting participation in the 234 constituencies in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections was high, with long queues reported at several polling stations and steady turnout in urban and rural areas.The day was also marked by high public attention on the high-profile polls, with large turnouts of top political leaders, celebrities and first-time voters from Chennai, Salem, Coimbatore and other districts.TVK chairman Vijay also raised eyebrows after he wrote to the Election Commission seeking an extension to polling hours, citing delays and slowdowns at several polling stations due to long queues.In a noteworthy highlight, a robot dressed in traditional Tamil attire was deployed at a Chennai polling station to welcome voters, adding a tech-driven appeal to the voting process.Over 570 million voters are deciding the fate of over 4,000 candidates in a closely watched three-way contest between the DMK-led alliance, the AIADMK-led NDA and actor Vijay’s TVK, who is making his electoral debut.

Voter turnout is stable across districts

Polling stations across Tamil Nadu maintained steady turnout throughout the day, with long queues reported in many areas. Data from the Election Commission showed that turnout started to rise in the morning and reached 56.81% at 1 pm, with active voting activities in many urban and rural areas.

Senior leaders vote early

Chief Minister MK Stalin, Deputy Prime Minister Udayanidhi Stalin, AIADMK president Edappadi K Palaniswami, TVK president Vijay and senior leaders including P Chidambaram, Kanimozhi, Anbumani Ramadoss are among the early voters. Stalin urged citizens to participate and said “Tamil Nadu will win.”

Star power dominates voting day

Kollywood celebrities add significant visibility to the electoral process. Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Vijay, Sivakarthikeyan, Ajith Kumar, Suriya, Dhanush, Vikram, Jiiva, Sasikumar, RJ Balaji, Trisha, Anirudh Ravichander and several others cast their votes in Chennai and other districts. Many participants also encouraged responsible voting and civic participation.

Vijay flags delay, seeks longer time for voting

TVK chief Vijay, who is contesting, has written to the Election Commission seeking a two-hour extension to polling hours, citing long queues and slow voting at multiple polling stations in Tamil Nadu. In his letter to the Chief Electoral Commissioner, he said there were “reports of long queues of voters waiting to cast their votes at polling stations, but the voting process is slow” and urged intervention to prevent inconvenience to voters.He also called for greater supervision and deployment of designated officials to ensure smoother crowd management and more efficient voting, adding that delays could hinder voters from exercising their franchise.

Robot greets voters at booth in Vellore

At the polling booth at the Government Muslim High School in Vellore, a robot dressed in traditional Tamil attire was deployed to welcome voters. The initiative attracted attention because it welcomed citizens who came to vote, emphasizing a technology-driven approach to voter engagement.

Three-way political competition intensifies

The main contest is between the ruling DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance and the AIADMK-led NDA, with actor Vijay’s TVK trying to emerge as the third force in its electoral debut. DMK leader A Raja claimed that the alliance could secure more than 200 seats, while opposition leaders expressed confidence of returning to power.

Voting logistics and security

The Election Commission deployed central and state forces, along with EVM and VVPAT systems, at over 75,000 polling stations. Special facilities were arranged for elderly voters, first-time voters and people with disabilities, and more than 360,000 election personnel were present.

May 4 results

Voting will close at 6pm and counting is scheduled for May 4. The outcome will determine whether the DMK remains in power, the AIADMK makes a comeback, or whether TVK disrupts the traditional Dravidian political order in Tamil Nadu.