Chennai, Sept 9:
As many as 32,055 people visited the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly during the 28 sitting days of the 2026 Budget session, marking the highest turnout in recent years and reflecting growing interest among young people in legislative proceedings, Speaker JCD Prabhakar said on Tuesday.
The Budget session, which concluded on Tuesday, saw a sharp rise in visitors compared with previous years. According to figures cited by the Speaker, 22,651 people visited the Assembly in 2021, 20,137 in 2023, 10,754 in 2024 and 20,123 in 2025. The 2026 figure of 32,055 was recorded in just 28 sitting days.
Prabhakar said the increasing participation of students was particularly significant. While around 20 schools on average had earlier sent students to witness Assembly proceedings, students from 76 schools and colleges visited the House during the current session.
âMany students studying in Classes 11 and 12, as well as working people, have taken leave to come and watch the Assembly proceedings,â he said, describing the trend as an indication of growing interest among the next generation in public life.
The Speaker also said interest among Gen Z in watching Assembly proceedings was increasing steadily. The large number of young visitors, he noted, indicated a greater willingness among the younger generation to understand legislative functioning and public affairs.
Prabhakar also praised the TVK government for what he described as transparency in administration. He said people were appreciating the functioning of the government and claimed that files were being moved without delay.
The record visitor numbers come against the backdrop of the Assembly’s increasing efforts to make its proceedings more accessible to the public, including the live telecast of proceedings during the session.