Chennai, March 15 (IANS) The Election Commission of India (ECI), on Sunday, announced the schedule for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, highlighting the participation of 7,617 registered third-gender voters among the state’s 5.67 crore voters.

Polling for all 234 Assembly constituencies will be held on April 23, while the counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.

The Commission said the electoral process will be completed by May 6, setting the stage for a major political contest in one of India’s most politically vibrant states.

According to the latest electoral rolls released by the Election Commission, Tamil Nadu has 5.67 crore voters, including 7,617 third-gender voters, around 4.63 lakh persons with disabilities, and nearly 3.99 lakh senior citizens aged above 85 years, who are expected to participate in the democratic exercise.

A notable highlight of the electoral data is the large number of young voters.

The Commission said that 12.51 lakh first-time voters aged between 18 and 19 years are likely to cast their vote in the upcoming Assembly elections.

This figure is the highest among the four states going to the polls this year, underscoring the growing influence of young voters in Tamil Nadu’s political landscape.

The Election Commission also reiterated that of the 234 Assembly constituencies, 44 seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes and two seats for Scheduled Tribes, in accordance with constitutional provisions.

To facilitate smooth and accessible voting, the Commission has established 75,032 polling stations across Tamil Nadu.

The poll body has fixed a maximum limit of 1,200 voters per polling station to ensure better crowd management and voter convenience.

Officials said a detailed rationalisation exercise was carried out while identifying polling locations.

As part of this process, additional polling stations have been set up in high-rise residential complexes, group housing societies, Resident Welfare Association (RWA) colonies with community halls, and densely populated urban slum clusters, ensuring that voters have easier access to polling booths.

With the election schedule now announced, political parties are expected to ramp up their campaign preparations and finalise candidates for what promises to be a closely watched Assembly election in Tamil Nadu.

–IANS

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