CHENNAI: Empty roads, brisk biriyani sales, crowded juice stalls where youngsters boasted their inked fingers, cab drivers fleecing passengers – this was Chennai on April 23, when the city went to vote.As voting commenced, the characteristic hustle and bustle that defines the city disappeared. Public transport moved with lighter loads, cinema theatres opened only in…
CHENNAI: Largely peaceful polling in Tamil Nadu on Thursday was marred by sporadic clashes between cadres of DMK and TVK in several parts of the state.In Harbour constituency, tension flared when supporters of HR&CE minister P K Sekarbabu and TVK candidate ‘Sinora’ P S Ashok clashed near a polling booth on Angappa Naicken Street. According…
CHENNAI: At 95, when most would prefer comfort over crowds, veteran screenwriter Chitralaya Gopu chose conviction. Election officials had made arrangements for him to cast his vote from home, but Gopu had other plans.At around 8.30am on Thursday, in a crisply ironed shirt and dhoti, he went to the polling booth at a municipal school…
Western Tamil Nadu witnessed a significant surge in voter turnout, exceeding 88% and surpassing 2021 levels, particularly in AIADMK strongholds like Salem. The ruling DMK’s northern bastion also saw a substantial increase. While Karur district topped the state with over 92% turnout, the southern region lagged behind with lower participation. By: Shanmughsundaram.jSeveral districts of western…
CHENNAI: Turnout is normally higher in rural areas, but this time urban voters have narrowed the gap.According to Election Commission data at 9pm, barring a few constituencies in Chennai district, more than 35 seats across 50 urban centres recorded an increase in absolute voter numbers, ranging from 800 to 48,000, over 2021. In the 2021…
CHENNAI: The headline-grabbing turnout of 83.7% masks a quieter reality — actually, fewer people voted than the last two assembly elections.In percentage terms, data till 9.30pm (excluding postal ballots) showed that the city logged a sharp jump from 60% in 2021 and 61.2% in 2016. But in absolute terms, only 23.7 lakh votes were polled…
Chennai: A space industry body has urged the government to provide policy support and financial incentives to nurture the nascent orbital servicing ecosystem in the country. A report by the Indian Space Association (ISpA) and OrbitAID Aerospace, a startup working on extending satellite life, has called for a production-linked incentive programme, procurement commitments from strategic…
SALEM: The indelible ink applied on her right index finger added to the beauty of the henna on her hands. Casting her vote was the first thing that Deepika of Kosavampatti in Namakkal town did after her wedding on Thursday morning.Deepika and the groom, Anand of Tirupur, walked straight to a polling station at a…
The higher turnout percentage was largely due to the SIR, which removed around 57 lakh names, bringing down the electorate from 6.29 crore to 5.73 crore. CHENNAI: A small step for democracy, a giant leap for special intensive revision (SIR). That probably explains the 85.15% voter turnout in the Tamil Nadu assembly election on Thursday.Polling…
COIMBATORE: Former BJP state president K Annamalai on Thursday accused the ruling DMK of bribing voters with cash and jewellery. He alleged that the distribution of money and ornaments had been widespread over the past three days, especially in Coimbatore. He criticised what he described as the DMK’s “soft campaign” tactics and urged the Election…
