The 45-day long wait for the Lok Sabha election results in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry will finally end on Tuesday. Starting at 8 AM, the counting process will unfold at 39 centers across Tamil Nadu, covering its 39 constituencies, and the single constituency in Puducherry.
The counting will kick off with postal votes, followed by electronic voting machines (EVMs) by 8:30 AM, as stated by Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo. The state witnessed a voter turnout of 69.72%, with 6.23 crore out of the total voters casting their votes during the first phase on April 19.
A total of 38,000 government employees will be engaged in the counting process. To ensure transparency, each stage of counting and the declaration of results will be recorded on camera. Additionally, extra tables will be set up with the Election Commission of India’s approval where necessary, based on the volume of votes cast.
In this high-stakes election, 950 candidates are in the fray. Notable candidates from the DMK include sitting MPs A Raja, Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, Dayanidhi Maran, and T R Baalu, as well as alliance members like VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan and CPM’s Su Venkatesan. The BJP-led NDA camp features prominent figures such as former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, AMMK leader T T V Dhinakaran, BJP state president K Annamalai, Union Minister of State L Murugan, and Nainer Nagendran. Key candidates from the AIADMK-led front include J Jayavardhan and DMDK’s Vijaya Prabhakaran.
With the extensive preparations and heightened anticipation, all eyes will be on the counting centers as the results start to roll in.