Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin is reported to have travelled to Dubai for a brief visit after the completion of polling for the Assembly elections. He departed from Chennai International Airport on Friday morning along with his family.
On Thursday, Chief Minister M. K. Stalin cast his vote at a polling station in Chennai and appealed to the public to participate actively in the democratic process.
“Just like I exercised my right, everyone must fulfil their democratic duty. It is important… Tamil Nadu will win,” he said after voting.
He was accompanied by his wife Durga Stalin, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, and other family members, all of whom also voted in Chennai.
Udhayanidhi Stalin’s wife Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi urged citizens to come out and vote, noting her long-standing participation in elections. “I have been doing this for the last 25 years. My son is voting for the first time,” she said.
Chief Minister M. K. Stalin is contesting from the Kolathur Assembly constituency, which has traditionally been considered his stronghold. This time, however, the seat has witnessed a multi-cornered contest, with V.S. Babu of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), P. Santhana Krishnan of AIADMK, and Soundara Pandian Louther Seth of NTK also in the fray. The presence of TVK, led by actor-politician Vijay, has further intensified the electoral dynamics.
In the 2021 Assembly election, Stalin secured a decisive victory in Kolathur, polling 1,05,522 votes with a 61.4% vote share and defeating AIADMK’s Aadi Rajaram by a margin of 70,384 votes. The constituency recorded a turnout of 64.63% out of 2,68,296 registered voters.
Udhayanidhi Stalin is contesting from the Chepauk–Triplicane constituency, where he faces candidates including AIADMK’s Adhi Rajaram, NTK’s Ayisha Begum, and TVK’s D. Selvam.
According to the Election Commission of India, polling for Phase I of the Assembly elections concluded at 6 pm on Thursday, with Tamil Nadu recording a voter turnout of 84.80%. The high participation rate reflects a closely watched electoral exercise conducted under tight security across constituencies.
Vote counting is scheduled to take place on May 4.
(With inputs from ANI)