The high-decibel campaign for the April 23 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections will draw to a close on Tuesday evening, ushering in the mandatory 48-hour silence period ahead of polling.
Over the past month, the state has witnessed an intense political blitz, with top national and regional leaders crisscrossing constituencies in a bid to sway voters.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal were among those who hit the campaign trail. On the state front, Chief Minister M K Stalin, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, and DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin led aggressive outreach efforts for their respective alliances.
The contest this time is framed largely as a straight fight between two major coalitions: the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) and the AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). While the DMK is contesting 164 of the 234 seats, leaving 70 to its allies, the AIADMK is in the fray in 169 constituencies, with partners contesting the remaining 65.
Campaign rhetoric revolved around familiar fault lines, development claims, allegations over corruption, Centre-state financial relations, and accusations of dynastic politics, often punctuated by sharp personal attacks. In the final stretch, however, the proposed delimitation exercise emerged as a flashpoint, injecting a fresh layer of political debate.
What adds intrigue to this election is the emergence of actor Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, making its electoral debut across all 234 constituencies. Vijay himself is contesting from Perambur and Tiruchirappalli (East), turning both seats into high-profile battlegrounds.
The ruling DMK has countered this challenge by deploying actor-politician Kamal Haasan, whose Makkal Needhi Maiam has aligned with the alliance, to campaign actively. Meanwhile, Seeman’s Naam Tamilar Katchi is also contesting all seats, ensuring a multi-cornered fight in several constituencies.
With multiple players in the fray and alliances locked in a tight contest, Tamil Nadu heads into polling day with the stage set for a closely watched electoral battle.
(With inputs from PTI)