Tamil Nadu exit polls 2021: Pollsters predict clear majority for DMK-Congress alliance
The sixteenth legislative assembly election of Tamil Nadu was held on 6 April 2021, to elect representatives from the 234 constituencies in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The poll is the state's first assembly election after the demises of the two most prominent Chief Ministers in its modern history, J. Jayalalithaa and M. Karunanidhi, who died in 2016 and 2018 respectively. The current fifteenth legislative assembly will conclude its term on 24 May 2021.
The state of Tamil Nadu is divided into 234 assembly constituencies, each of which elects a member (called an MLA) to represent it at the state's unicameral legislative assembly, as per Article 168 of the Constitution of India. The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly convenes at Fort St. George, Chennai. The member that manages to receive the support of the majority of the members of the assembly (that is the Chief Ministerial candidate of the party that secures more than 50% of the seats), which is a minimum of 118 members, is appointed as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu by the state's Governor, to head the state government for a term of the next five years.
Tamil Nadu Assembly Election Date and Time: The assembly election in Tamil Nadu will be held in a single phase on April 6. The polling will begin at 7 am and will close at 6 pm.
Tamil Nadu Assembly Election Number of Voters: There are over 6.28 crore eligible voters who will elect 234 members from the 3,998 candidates contesting the elections. This includes 3.18 crore women, 3.08 crore men and over 7,200 transgenders. The number of women voters are more than men voters and this is why the parties have been trying to woo the women voters. The Shozhinganallur Assembly constituency in Chengalpattu district has the highest number of voters with 6,94,845 electors, while Chennai’s Harbour Assembly constituency has the lowest number of voters with 1,76,272 electors. There are as many as 8,97,694 new voters in the age group of 18-19 years.
Tamil Nadu Assembly Election Number of Schedule
Date for Nominations 12 March 2021
Last Date for filing Nominations 19 March 2021
Date for scrutiny of nominations 20 March 2021
Last date for withdrawal of candidatures 22 March 2021
Date of poll 6 April 2021
Date of counting 2 May 2021
Date before which the election shall be completed 24 May 2021
The single-phase Assembly election in Tamil Nadu concluded peacefully on 6 April with a voter turnout of 71.43 percent as per the the EC's voter turnout app. In terms of districts, Karur saw the highest polling of 83.92 percent and Chennai see the lowest with a 55.28 percent turnout.
While Palaniswami and Panneerselvam will cement their position as successors of Jayalalithaa if the AIADMK retains power though it faces an uphill task especially after the rout in the 2019 Lok Sabha election when the DMK-led alliance won 38 out of 39 seats. The AIADMK had scored successive wins in 2011 and in 2016 when Jayalalithaa bucked the anti-incumbency trend — the first by anyone in nearly three decades in the state.
AIADMK ally BJP, which had not won any seat in the last pols, contested in 20 constituencies. Another AIADMK ally PMK is contested from 23 constituencies. The Congress, an ally of the DMK, was in the fray in 25 Assembly segments. Makkal Needhi Maiam, founded in 2018 and led by actor-politician Kamal Haasan, tried its luck in Assembly polls for the first time.
Tamil Nadu Assembly Election key candidates and constituencies: A total of 3,998 candidates are in the fray for the Tamil Nadu assembly elections. Key candidates include incumbent Chief Minister K Palaniswami from Edappadi Assembly constituency, Deputy CM O Panneerselvam from the Bodinayakkanur constituency, DMK President MK Stalin from the Kolathur constituency, his son Udhayanidhi Stalin from Chepauk-Tiruvalliken constituency, former AIADMK leader and AMMK founder TTV Dhinakaran from Kovilpatti assembly constituency, actor-turned politicians and Makkal Needhi Maiam founder Kamal Haasan from Coimbatore South, Naam Tamizhar Katchi leader Seeman from Thiruvottiyur and BJP state unit chief L Murugan from Dharapuram and BJP’s Khushboo Sundar from Thousands Lights constituency.
Tamil Nnadu Legislative Assembly election 2021: AIADMK - Edappadi K. Palaniswami, DMK - M. K. Stalin, AMMK - T. T. V. Dhinakaran: Result date, majority seats, exit poll results, counting time and many more, published by - The Beyond News (Politics)