Madurai (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 23 : All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam candidate P Saravanan cast his vote on Thursday morning in the Madurai North Assembly constituency, expressing confidence that his party will secure a strong victory in the ongoing elections.
Saravanan voted at the Corporation Primary School in Narimedu. After casting his vote, he said the AIADMK, under its leadership, would perform strongly across Madurai district and the state.
Speaking to ANI, Saravanan said, "AIADMK, people-friendly AIADMK led by our General Secretary will bag a massive win in the 10 constituencies in Madurai. We will win all 10 constituencies, and throughout Tamil Nadu, we will win more than 210 seats."
He also pointed to the turnout at polling stations, saying it reflected a mood for change among voters. "Just now, I have come out after exercising my constitutional duty. And you can very well see how, in large numbers, people are coming. So there's going to be a change in Tamil Nadu, and DMK is going to be thrown away by people," he added.
Earlier in the day, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, after casting his vote, urged people to exercise this democratic right, stating that it is a "banner you are raising to protect Tamil Nadu."
In a post on X, Stalin highlighted the necessity to cast a vote, which, he said, will determine the future of every single person in Tamil Nadu. He urged people to vote to protect the ideals of the constitution, democracy and secularism.
"Do not fail to cast your vote for the development of Tamil Nadu! I have cast my vote in the 2026 Assembly elections. Let all the great voters of Tamil Nadu without fail fulfil their democratic duty," he said.
Stalin is facing a serious multi-cornered challenge from Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam's (TVK) VS Babu and AIADMK's P Santhana Krishnan, along with NTK's Soundara Pandian Louther Seth. This has turned Kolathur into a high-voltage triangular contest, with actor-turned-politician Vijay's TVK attempting to disrupt traditional vote banks while the AIADMK seeks to reclaim lost ground.
Meanwhile, in Madurai district, a total of 3,079 polling stations have been set up across 10 Assembly constituencies. For the conduct of polling, 3,695 ballot and control units along with 4,001 VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) machines will be deployed.
Additionally, all polling stations are equipped with basic amenities such as drinking water, toilets, ramps for the differently-abled, wheelchairs, lighting, and fans. Temporary shelters (pandals) have also been set up to protect voters from the heat.
In the Madurai district, across 10 Assembly constituencies, a total of 24,96,190 voters are set to cast their votes. This includes 12,22,309 male voters and 12,73,609 female voters. A total of 129 candidates are contesting across the 10 constituencies, representing parties such as DMK, AIADMK, BJP, Congress, DMDK, Naam Tamilar Katchi, and independents.
Polling for the Assembly elections began in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal (Phase 1) amid tight security on Thursday. The voting will conclude at 6:00 pm today in both states.
The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections are being held in a single phase today, while West Bengal will witness two phases of polling in the Assembly elections 2026, with the second phase scheduled to take place on April 29. The counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.
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