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Broader election exercise this year
What happened in last Tamil Nadu Polls
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Voting for all 234 assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu will be held on April 23, with the counting of votes scheduled for May 4, according to the poll schedule.As per the timeline, the gazette notification for the elections will be issued on March 30, marking the formal start of the electoral process. The last date for filing nominations is April 6, while the scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on April 7.Candidates will be able to withdraw their nominations until April 9, after which the final list of contestants will be prepared.Polling across all 234 constituencies will be conducted on April 23, and the counting of votes will take place on May 4. The election process is scheduled to be completed by May 6, as per the official timetable.The Election Commission of India on Sunday announced the schedule for assembly elections in five states and one Union Territory — West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry — involving around 17.4 crore voters.Polling will be held in April, with counting of votes scheduled for May 4, 2026.West Bengal will go to polls in two phases on April 23 and April 29, while Tamil Nadu will vote in a single phase on April 23. Kerala, Assam and Puducherry will vote in a single phase on April 9.According to the Commission, nearly 25 lakh personnel will be deployed to conduct the elections, including around 15 lakh polling staff, 8.5 lakh security personnel, 49,000 micro observers for polling and 40,000 officials for counting.The poll panel said the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls was carried out to ensure that eligible voters are included while removing ineligible entries. It also held consultations with political parties, district officials and enforcement agencies in poll-bound states to review preparedness.Calling elections in India a “festival of democracy”, the Commission said the exercise reflects the country’s cultural diversity, adding that observers from more than 20 countries are expected to witness the electoral process.In the 2021 assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam returned to power after a decade, defeating the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led alliance. Polling was held in a single phase on April 6, with results declared on May 2, and the state recorded a 73.63% voter turnout.The DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance won 159 seats in the 234-member assembly, with the DMK itself securing 133 seats and an absolute majority. The AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance won 75 seats, including 66 won by the AIADMK.Following the victory, M. K. Stalin was sworn in as chief minister on May 7, 2021, ending the AIADMK’s two consecutive terms in power from 2011 to 2021 and returning the DMK to office for the sixth time.