Chennai: An estimated 6.29 crore electorate are set to cast their ballots, as the stage is all set for one of the more fiercely contested elections to elect the 16th Tamilnadu Legislative Assembly tomorrow, apart from the bypolls to the Kanyakumari Lok Sabha seat.
As the Covid pandemic protocols are in force, polling will be held for 234-Assembly seats in more than 88,000 polling booths across the State, which was 34.73 per cent higher in view of the pandemic.
The process of transporting more than 1.55 lakh Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) along with VVPAT slips to the polling stations started this morning, amid tight security and deployment of paramilitary forces and state police personnel.
Election Commission sources said that enhanced security will be provided in sensitive booths where the entire polling process will be videographed and webcast live.
The polling will start at 7 am and will end at 7 pm, an increase by an hour in view of the pandemic.
With a view to ensure maximum turnout, the ECI also announced that those infected by the Covid virus, can come and vote in the last hour by wearing the necessary PPE kits.
The ECI has also made arrangements for live webcast of the polling process in sensitive booths, all those wearing face masks alone will be allowed to enter the polling booth after thermal scanning and following the SOPs.
The hustle and bustle of the high voltage campaign ended at 7 pm yesterday when the leading candidates made a last ditch effort in their respective constituencies to woo the voters by resorting to door-to-door campaign.
The elections will witness a five-cornered contest with the fronts headed by the traditional Dravidian rivals, the ruling AIADMK and the Opposition DMK, vying with each other to win the confidence of the voters, apart from the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) of actor-politician Kamal Haasan, ousted AIADMK leader and late J Jayalalithaa’s close aide V K Sasikala’s nephew TTV Dhinakaran and actor-director Seeman’s Naam Tamizhar Katchi in the fray.
Though it appeared a five-cornered contest on paper, it will once again be a two-horse race, with the main fight between the AIADMK and the DMK.
This election will be an acid test for the leadership of the AIADMK and the DMK, who is testing the waters in the absence of two tall leaders and late Chief Ministers J Jayalalithaa and M Karunanidhi respectively, notwithstanding the DMK winning the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
While AIADMK is eyeing for a hat-trick of wins, having won in 2011 and 2016 Assembly polls, the DMK, which on its own is claiming to be banking on the anti-incumbency factor, is desperate to come back to power after being in the Opposition for 10 years, in what is billed as a no-holds barred contest.
While a total of 3,998 candidates are in the fray for the 234-Assembly seats to elect the 16th Assembly, for the Kanyakumari bypoll, which was necessitated following the death of Congress MP H Vasanthakumar, a total of 12 candidates are in the fray.
The Lok Sabha bypoll will witness a direct fight between former Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan of BJP and Vasanthakumar’s son Vijay Vasanth of Congress.
The BJP is facing the polls as part of AIADMK alliance and the Congress as an ally of the Opposition DMK.
The interesting and in fact the notable aspect of the polls is that nearly 14 lakh first time voters, are expected to be the game changers, though various poll surveys predicted wins to their chosen parties, according to their whims and fancies, despite being well aware that the voters are the masters to decide that proved the predictions wrong.
The AIADMK-led front, which has named Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami as the CM candidate, is contesting in 179 seats, while its ally the BJP in 20, PMK (23), Tamil Maanila Congress (6).
Besides, Perunthalaivar Makkal Katchi, Tamilaga Makkal Munnetra Kazkagam, Puratchi Bharatham, Moovendar Munnetra Kazhagam, All India Moovendar Munnani Kazhagam and Pasumpon Desiya Kazhagam were allotted one seat each and they will contest under the AIADMK’s ‘Two Leaves’ symbol.
In all, 185 candidates will contest under the AIADMK symbol. The DMK, heading the Secular Progressive Alliance and projecting M K Stalin as the CM candidate, will contest in 173 seats, its ally the Congress in 25, CPI, CPI-M, MDMK and VCK (six each), Kongunaadu Makkal Desiya Katchi and IUML (three each), Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (two), All India Forward Bloc, Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi, Makkal Viduthalai Katchi and Athi Thamizhar Peravai (one each).
In all, 187 candidates (including 14 of its allies) will contest on the DMK’s ‘Rising Sun’ symbol.
Also in the fray are Kamal’s MNM, which has AISMK and IJK as its allies, the AMMK of Dhinakaran with DMDK led by actor-politician Vijayakanth as ally and the Naam Tamizhar Katchi.
Key candidates, whose fortunes will be decided tomorrow included Palaniswami from his native Edappadi seat, Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam (Bodinayakkanur), BJP State president L Murugan (Dharapuram-R), actress-politician Khushbu Sundar (Thousand Lights), former IPS Officer and BJP vice-president K Annamalai (Aravakurichi), former national secretary H Raja (Karaikudi), Stalin (Kolathur), his son and debutant Udhayanidhi Stalin (Chepauk-Tiruvallikeni), DMK General Secretary Duraimurugan (Katpadi), Dhinakaran (Kovilpatti), DMDK treasurer and Vijayakanth’s wife Premalatha (Vridhachalam), Kamal Haasan, who too is testing his electoral fortunes for the first time and is pitted against BJP women’s wing seceretary Vanathi Srinivasan in Coimbatore South, president of AIADMK’s ally PMK G K Mani (Pennagaram) and Seeman (Thiruvottriyur).
Leaving nothing to chance, both the AIADMK and the DMK have fielded heavy weights, including senior leaders and former Ministers from their respective constituencies making it one of the most toughest battles at the hustings.