Overview
- Election Commission figures put provisional turnout at 85.15% after Thursday’s single-phase voting across all 234 seats, the highest ever recorded in the state.
- Participation surged across districts, with Karur and Salem crossing 90% and Chennai topping 83%, including heavy polling in high-profile seats such as Kolathur, Edappadi and Perambur.
- Actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam made its debut as a disruptive third force, with reported estimates of roughly 15–20% vote share that could split traditional blocs and alter close results.
- The Election Commission mounted a large operation that installed VVPATs at every booth, fielded 1,06,418 ballot units and 75,064 control units, and deployed about 300 CAPF companies plus 83,875 state police.
- EVMs have been moved to strongrooms for safekeeping ahead of the May 4 count, while police opened an inquiry into a reported clash between DMK and AIADMK agents at a Salem booth.