Tamil Nadu records 73.76 per cent polling
Turnout does not inch past the percentage of votes polled five years ago, which was 78.20 per cent.
Chennai/New Delhi: People stepped out of their homes in droves and reached polling stations on Monday to assert their democratic right and voice their opinion loud and clear about those who should rule them.
The state recorded an estimated 73.76% turnover in the elections held to 232 Assembly constituencies, with polls in two segments being deferred to May 23 due to allegations of distribution of money. Tamil Nadu has had a history of robust polling but Monday’s turnout did not inch past the percentage of votes that was polled five years ago, which was 78.20 per cent.
Read: 73.76 per cent: Five per cent drop in Tamil Nadu turnout
Palakod and Pennagaram in Dharmapuri district, where PMK’s Chief Ministerial candidate A. Ramadoss is contesting, recorded the maximum turnout with 88.50% cent and 87.61%respectively. The lowest turnout was recorded in Harbour constituency in Chennai, which registered 55.27%.
Read: Kovai records lowest turnout in Western Tamil Nadu
The 2016 Assembly elections were fought bereft of any major issue unlike past polls where one or a slew of issues set the agenda. Though all political parties promised to implement prohibition, the issue did not become the centerpiece of the elections.
The question that remains to be answered is whether anti-incumbency, a term which people of Tamil Nadu are well familiar with, will be in play this time as well or would Tamil Nadu vote for status quo after more than three decades.
No political party has retained power since 1984 and the AIADMK is hoping to buck the trend by coming back to power banking heavily on its manifesto that has promised freebies like waiving off all farmers’ loan and 50 per cent subsidy to women for buying mopeds.
Read: Two persons die at polling booths in Madurai, Aruppukottai
Chennai records 62 per cent polling, less than 2011
Chennaiites, who awoke to pleasant weather on D-Day, voted briskly in the morning. Chennai’s final poll percentage was about 62 per cent, a dip of about 5 to 6 per cent compared to the 2011 Assembly polls.
The momentum, which picked up early in the morning, faded after 3 pm with booths running dry without voters. In fact,polling and normal life went hand in hand in constituencies like R K Nagar, Royapuram, Perambur and Harbour and the usual election fervour was totally absent just before poll closing time.
Read: Tamil Nadu polls: Chennai’s enthusiasm did not sustain through day
Normal life prevailed in north Chennai with restaurants and shops open. R K Nagar, where CM Jayalalithaa is contesting saw serpentine queues, while constituencies in south Chennai were deserted by around 4 pm. Even labour dominated constituencies like Saidapet and Royapuram recorded more than 5 per cent dip when compared to the previous assembly polls.
Read: From marriage hall to polling booth
Declaring the state elections as peaceful, Tamil Nadu chief electoral officer Rajesh Lakhoni said Central Chennai with Harbour, Villivakkam and Egmore Assembly constituencies recorded the lowest polling numbers. Dharmapuri and Salem with more rural pockets recorded the highest polling while urban areas comprising tier-1and tier-2cities recorded low polling. The highest turnout was recorded in Edappadi and Pennag-aram constituencies (85%) while the lowest was in Harbour (55%) and Villivakkam (53%).
Read: Tamil Nadu: Polls predict exit
No untoward incidents were recorded except in Ramanathapuram where the police arrested a person for damaging an EVM.
BJP to make inroads in Tamil Nadu
Exit polls have given the DMK-Congress alliance a comfortable majority in the 234 member Assembly. The India Today-My Axis-India polls survey gave DMK and allies 124 to 140 seats and AIADMK 89 to 101. BJP is likely to get 0 to 3 seats while “others” 4 to 8.