Karaikudi (Tamil Nadu), April 23 (IANS) Congress MP Karti Chidambaram on Thursday expressed confidence that the Secular Progressive Alliance (DMK-led alliance) will perform strongly in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections as he cast his vote in Sivaganga.

He arrived in Karaikudi in Sivaganga to exercise his franchise along with his wife, Srinidhi, and daughter, Aditi.

Speaking to IANS after casting his vote, Chidambaram said, “I am very, very confident that the alliance will do very well. I am particularly confident about my parliamentary constituency (Sivaganga). And I am also confident that K. R. Periyakaruppan, who is our candidate in the Tiruppattur Assembly, will get re-elected with a very handsome margin.”

He also appealed to young voters to participate actively in the democratic process and turn out in large numbers to cast their votes.

“They should come out and more. Voting is a privilege, a right and also a duty. I hope they come out, observe the political parties and candidates, and the policies and leadership. I wish they would also become much more involved in politics,” the Congress MP added.

Responding to a query on the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI) during polling, Chidambaram said the process has so far been smooth and peaceful.

“Everything is very peaceful in Tamil Nadu, as usual. I have not heard of any unwanted incident, and I am sure polling will go on peacefully,” he added.

Polling for the high-stakes Tamil Nadu Assembly elections across all 234 constituencies began at 7 a.m., with over 5.73 crore eligible voters set to decide the fate of 4,023 candidates in a fiercely contested four-cornered battle.

The electoral contest primarily features the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, the AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance, the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), and the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), making this one of the most competitive elections in recent years.

Voting commenced early in the morning, with voters seen queuing up in large numbers at polling booths, reflecting strong public enthusiasm to participate in the democratic process.

With voter turnout expected to play a decisive role, political parties are closely monitoring polling trends across constituencies. As of 3 p.m., the voter turnout stood at 70 per cent, according to the data issued by the ECI.

The counting of votes is scheduled for May 4, when the electoral verdict will determine the next governments in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

–IANS

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