Chennai: Voting for the Tamil Nadu Assembly election ended at 6 PM on Thursday and electors who gathered in the polling stations before the time for closure of polling were allowed to vote, officials said.
About 82.24 per cent of the 5.73 crore eligible voters exercised their franchise in the election to the 234-member strong Tamil Nadu Assembly, a record turnout. This was the provincial figure till 5 pm and the final data will be made available following consolidation of data, officials added.
People voted in as many as 75,064 polling stations in 33,133 locations to decide the fortunes of 4,023 candidates.
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The DMK, which heads the Secular Progressive Alliance, is seeking to retain power, and is leading a multi-party coalition that includes Congress, Left parties and the VCK. The AIADMK, heading the National Democratic Alliance, on the other hand, is pushing for a return to power with allies BJP, AMMK and PMK, among others, in tow. Actor Vijay-led TVK is attempting to break the decades long tradition of DMK and AIADMK alternatively ruling the state and form its government.
Despite the scorching sun, people turned up enthusiastically in polling stations right from 7 AM onwards and cast their votes and those who had gathered before 6 PM, the appointed time for closure of polling, were allowed to vote.
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