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Tamil Nadu election 2026 highlights: Polling ends across 234 seats, 84.51% turnout
Tamil Nadu election 2026 highlights: The results will be counted on May 4, which will decide the next government in the southern state. The current Assembly’s tenure is set to end on May 10.
- 8:36 PM IST, Apr 23Women outvote men in Tamil Nadu polls; turnout gap stands at 2.19 points
- 7:40 PM IST, Apr 23EVMs sealed as Tamil Nadu Assembly polls conclude; visuals from Chennai booth
- 6:42 PM IST, Apr 23Tamil Nadu polls conclude at 6 PM; record 82.24% turnout
- 5:39 PM IST, Apr 2382.24 per cent voter turnout till 5 PM
- 5:18 PM IST, Apr 23Actors Suriya and Jyothika vote at Chennai’s T Nagar booth
- 4:39 PM IST, Apr 23Steady turnout in Tamil Nadu polls; voting underway across constituencies
- 3:51 PM IST, Apr 23Tamil Nadu records 70% turnout by 3 pm; Chennai at 68.13%
- 3:27 PM IST, Apr 23TVK flags lack of transport for voters, seeks EC intervention and extension of polling hours
- 2:51 PM IST, Apr 23Villagers in Vellore’s Katpadi protest booth shift, poor road access during Tamil Nadu polls
- 2:34 PM IST, Apr 23Voters brave heat, humidity for brisk turnout in Tamil Nadu polls
- 2:25 PM IST, Apr 23Stalin’s family casts votes in Chennai as Tamil Nadu goes to polls
- 2:17 PM IST, Apr 23Robot developed by govt college students greets voters in Coimbatore
- 2:09 PM IST, Apr 23Polls see women-run model booths, eco-friendly ‘green’ polling stations
- 2:01 PM IST, Apr 23CM Stalin’s daughter, son-in-law cast ballot at Chennai polling booth
- 1:50 PM IST, Apr 23Region-wise voter turnout
- 1:36 PM IST, Apr 23State records 56.81% voter turnout by 1 pm
- 1:33 PM IST, Apr 23Kanimozhi NVN Somu says more trains could have helped voters travel
- 1:24 PM IST, Apr 23Photo shows Vijay leaving polling booth after voting
- 1:22 PM IST, Apr 2385-year-old man came on wheelchair to cast his vote
- 1:04 PM IST, Apr 23Chennai Police Commissioner says over 28K security personnel on ground amid voting
- 12:55 PM IST, Apr 23Good sign that more people are showing up, says Congress MP
- 12:47 PM IST, Apr 23Actor-director Arvind Swamy casts vote in Chennai
- 12:45 PM IST, Apr 23Casting vote on wedding day is unforgettable memory, say bride and groom
- 12:37 PM IST, Apr 23Actor Trisha Krishnan casts her vote in Chennai
- 12:36 PM IST, Apr 23Actor Jiva casts vote, says 'it's our responsibility'
- 12:20 PM IST, Apr 23VTV Ganesh casts vote, backs TVK, praises Vijay’s leadership
- 12:06 PM IST, Apr 23What TVK chief said in his letter to CEC Gyanesh Kumar, seeking poll time extension
- 11:53 AM IST, Apr 23Voter turnout by 11 am as per ECI
- 11:50 AM IST, Apr 23Region-wise voter turnout as of 11 am
- 11:46 AM IST, Apr 23Namakkal tops voter turnout, Tirunelveli at lowest
- 11:38 AM IST, Apr 23State ecords 37.56% voter turnout by 11 am, says ECI
- 11:30 AM IST, Apr 23Congress' Karti Chidambaram votes in Sivaganga with family
- 11:18 AM IST, Apr 23DMK's A Raja predicts strong win for alliance
- 11:09 AM IST, Apr 23Cricketer Ashwin and his wife casts vote in Chennai, calls election ‘very important’
- 10:57 AM IST, Apr 23Voters queue up at Chennai booth to cast ballots
- 10:45 AM IST, Apr 23Dy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin confident of DMK win
- 10:35 AM IST, Apr 23DMK's Poyyamozhi says ‘people welcoming me warmly, have delivered on my word’
- 10:24 AM IST, Apr 23K Annamalai says ‘confident that people will make right choice’
- 10:12 AM IST, Apr 23TVK’s impact could reshape vote share, says journalist N Ram
- 10:11 AM IST, Apr 23BJP's Annamalai queues up, casts vote in Coimbatore
- 9:58 AM IST, Apr 23Vijay writes to CEC, seeks extension of polling hours
- 9:54 AM IST, Apr 23Namakkal leads voter turnout, Nilgiris lowest by 9 am
- 9:47 AM IST, Apr 23BJP President Nainar Nagendran casts vote in Tirunelveli
- 9:39 AM IST, Apr 23Tamil Nadu records 17.69% voter turnout by 9 am
- 9:35 AM IST, Apr 23Actor Dhanush casts vote at Chennai polling booth
- 9:32 AM IST, Apr 23Govt run special buses run from Chennai to aid voters, over 6.27 lakh travel
- 9:13 AM IST, Apr 23BJP's Piyush Goyal urges voters to back ‘development, progress’
- 9:10 AM IST, Apr 23BJP's Piyush Goyal urges voters to back ‘development, progress’
- 9:04 AM IST, Apr 23CM MK Stalin reaches Chennai polling booth with deputy CM Udhayanidhi
- 8:53 AM IST, Apr 23Actor Rajinikanth, daughter Soundarya cast votes in Chennai
- 8:49 AM IST, Apr 23Picture shows TVK chief Vijay at Chennai polling booth
- 8:37 AM IST, Apr 23TVK's Vijay casts vote in Chennai amid tight security
- 8:31 AM IST, Apr 23TVK chief Vijay arrives to cast vote amid tight security
- 8:26 AM IST, Apr 23Crowd gathers as MP Kamal Haasan and his daughter Shruti Haasan arrive to vote
- 8:18 AM IST, Apr 23Crowd surge as Ajith Kumar votes in Chennai, police step in, says report
- 8:13 AM IST, Apr 23Celebrities, leaders cast votes across the state
- 8:09 AM IST, Apr 23When will election results be announced?
- 8:04 AM IST, Apr 23How to download your voter slip online?
- 8:00 AM IST, Apr 23Voting delayed at Thoothukudi booth due to EVM glitch
- 7:55 AM IST, Apr 23EPS casts vote in Salem, urges people to turn out in large numbers
- 7:41 AM IST, Apr 23Full list of DMK, AIADMK candidates
- 7:34 AM IST, Apr 23What time is voting in Tamil Nadu?
- 7:24 AM IST, Apr 23Tamilisai Soundararajan’s husband expresses confidence in NDA win
- 7:21 AM IST, Apr 23Congress' P Chidambaram casts votes in Sivaganga
- 7:20 AM IST, Apr 23BJP's Khushbu Sundar casts vote, urges people to step out and participate
- 7:15 AM IST, Apr 23PM Modi calls for enthusiastic voter turnout as polling begins
- 7:12 AM IST, Apr 23Early queues seen at polling booths
- 7:00 AM IST, Apr 23Polling begins in Tamil Nadu, over 4000 candidates in fray
- 6:57 AM IST, Apr 23Mock polling underway in Tirunelveli ahead of voting
- 6:49 AM IST, Apr 23Key candidates to watch out for in Tamil Nadu polls
Tamil Nadu election 2026 highlights: Polling for the 234 Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu concluded at 6 PM on Thursday, with officials allowing voters who had reached polling stations before the deadline to cast their ballots. After months of intense campaigning, the state went to the polls in what has been widely seen as a crucial and closely watched electoral contest....Read More
Several prominent leaders and public figures were among the early voters, casting their ballots before 9 am as polling gathered pace across Tamil Nadu. Chief Minister MK Stalin voted in Chennai along with Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin, while AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami cast his vote in Salem. Actor-politician Vijay, Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, and Ajith Kumar were also seen at polling booths early in the day.
Voting began earlier in the morning amid tight security arrangements and continued through the day. Early turnout trends showed Tiruppur recording the highest voter participation at 62.97 per cent, while the Nilgiris reported the lowest at 50.42 per cent.
Voting for the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly began at 7:00 am and continued till 6:00 pm in a single-phase election. The results will be counted on May 4, which will decide the next government in the southern state. The current Assembly’s tenure is set to end on May 10.
The contest has generated significant anticipation, with voters weighing whether the DMK’s “Rising Sun” will secure another term, or if the AIADMK’s “Two Leaves” can stage a comeback.
In Tamil Nadu, the main battle is shaping up between the ruling Congress and DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance and the BJP-AIADMK coalition. However, the entry of actor-turned-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has added a fresh layer of competition, turning the election into a multi-cornered contest.
Key candidates in fray
A total of 4,023 candidates are in the fray across the state, including several high-profile leaders. Chief minister MK Stalin is contesting from Kolathur in Chennai, seeking a second straight term. His son and deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin is in the race from Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni.
On the other side, AIADMK chief and Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami is contesting from Edappadi in Salem district. Vijay, making his electoral debut, is contesting from two constituencies — Perambur in Chennai and Tiruchirappalli East.
Looking back at 2021 results
The 2021 Assembly elections saw a decisive victory for the DMK-led alliance, which secured 159 of the 234 seats. In comparison, the AIADMK-led coalition won 75 seats, marking a clear mandate for the DMK at the time.
Congress-DMK vs BJP-AIADMK
During the campaign, the DMK – contesting 164 seats and leaving 70 for its allies, including the Congress – framed the election as a contest between Tamil Nadu and the “Delhi-NDA”, taking aim at the BJP-led Centre.
The AIADMK, contesting 169 seats and allocating 65 to its allies, including 27 for the BJP, countered this narrative by targeting the DMK over issues such as alleged dynasty politics, law and order concerns, rising debt, and claims around drug prevalence and safety of women and children.
Vijay-led TVK, entering electoral politics for the first time, has fielded candidates in all 234 constituencies, signalling an ambitious statewide push in its debut outing.
Security stepped up
Election authorities have deployed around 1,700 companies of central armed police forces across Tamil Nadu to ensure smooth and secure polling.
Ahead of voting, mock polling exercises were also conducted, including at Chennai High School, as part of preparations to ensure that polling processes run without glitches on election day.
