Polling for Tamil Nadu assembly begins

Chennai: Polling to 232 Assembly seats in Tamil Nadu that will decide the fate of over 3700 candidates, including chief minister J Jayalalithaa and DMK chief M Karunanidhi, commenced today at 7 AM.

Electronic Voting Machines across 65,000-odd polling booths were opened for around 5.50 crore voters to cast their votes.

Over one lakh security personnel have been deployed to ensure peaceful elections.

Though Tamil Nadu has 234 assembly seats across 32 districts, polling is being held only for 232 as the Election Commission has postponed it for May 23 in Aravakurichi and Thanjavur segments following complaints of voters being bribed.

Besides Jayalalithaa (RK Nagar) and Karunanidhi (Thiruvarur), a host of leaders including DMDK founder Vijayakant and PMK's Anbumani Ramadoss, both Chief Ministerial candidates, MK Stalin (DMK), H Raja and Tamilisai Sounderrajan of the BJP are in fray.

A total of 1,11,958 police personnel, including 21,780 para military personnel, would be involved in the election duty.