Tamil Nadu Election 2026 Live Updates: 83.7% turnout masks drop in total votes across city constituencies

A newly married couple, N Raja Ram and V Renuka, cast their vote at Al Ameen School in K Pudur. They got married early in the morning, around 4 am, and headed straight to exercise their democratic right.

Tamil Nadu CM and DMK candidate from Kolathur, MK Stalin casts his vote and shows his inked finger at a polling station in Chennai.

Superstar Rajinikanth shows his inked finger after casting his vote at Stella Maris School in Chennai.

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram casts his vote and shows his inked finger at a polling station in Karaikudi, Sivaganga.

People are waiting in long queues to cast their votes at a government middle school in the Thiruparankundram constituency.

People were waiting in long queues to cast their votes at a polling station in the Villapuram area of Madurai from 6.30 am. (Image Credit: TNN)

Tamil Nadu enters polling day with a full-scale administrative push, as EVMs were dispatched under tight security and flying squads intensify vigil against last-minute inducements. Around 300 companies of paramilitary forces and over 83,800 police personnel have been deployed statewide, while officials undertook demanding last-mile logistics, including uphill treks and horseback transport, to service remote booths. Transport hubs were crowded as voters return home ahead of polling, including from overseas.

In a final appeal ahead of the polls, Tamil Nadu chief minister and DMK chief MK Stalin released a video message seeking a second consecutive term for his party, while highlighting the performance of his government over the last five years.

Stalin said that being described as “more dangerous than his father” was, in his view, a reflection of the political resistance he faces from those who, according to him, attempt to “obstruct Tamil Nadu’s development or act against its interests.” He also rejected allegations of the DMK being “anti-Hindu”, accusing the BJP of spreading false narratives for political advantage.

Reaffirming his party’s stance, Stalin said the DMK has always stood by minority communities and would continue to do so. He further highlighed key governance achievements, stating that temple properties worth over Rs 7,000 crore had been recovered and that several temples across the state had been renovated under the DMK government.

Pitching the “Dravidian model” as a successful governance framework, the DMK chief said it had delivered significant welfare measures and development outcomes, and expressed confidence that voters would endorse the party’s record for another term.

With 234 constituencies going to the polls in a single phase, the battle is being closely watched not just within the state but across the national political landscape, given the high-profile leaders and alliances in the fray. Several constituencies are set to be closely watched in the state.

MK Stalin seeks to retain Kolathur, while Udhayanidhi Stalin faces a key test in Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni. Actor-politician Vijay is making a high-profile electoral debut from Tiruchirapalli East and Perambur under his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam banner, drawing significant attention from first-time and young voters. On the other hand, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami is aiming for another win from his stronghold in Edappadi, a seat he has held for multiple terms.

Adding further intrigue, O Panneerselvam’s shift to the DMK has turned Bodinayakkanur into a closely watched battleground. Meanwhile, BJP leaders Tamilisai Soundararajan in Mylapore and Nainar Nagendran in Sattur are also among the key contestants, making these constituencies important indicators of the broader political mood in the state.

The election is largely expected to be a direct contest between the DMK-led ruling Secular Progressive Alliance and the National Democratic Alliance, of which AIADMK is the largest constituent in the state. Of the two national parties, Congress is aligned with the DMK, while the BJP is in alliance with the AIADMK, the DMK’s arch-rival.