Lok Sabha polls 2024: Tamil Nadu beats the heat to vote, recording 72 per cent

Tamil Nadu recorded an impressive 72.09 percent voter turnout -- the national average hovers around 60 percent -- in the first phase of the 18th Lok Sabha polls held on Friday. The state, with six crore voters in 39 constituencies, witnessed high voter turnout in places like Dharmapuri (the highest), while in urban pockets like Chennai Central and Chennai South, there was low polling.

State Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo said polling concluded peacefully, with a surge in first-time voters across the state. 

Beating the heat

It looks like people braved extreme weather conditions to cast their votes. Media reports highlighted the lack of drinking water in many rural booths, with temperatures shooting up to 41 degrees Celsius in places such as Madurai and Erode. Reports say heatwave conditions prevented voters from reaching polling stations. Unofficial reports also say three senior citizens reportedly succumbed due to heat stroke.

R. Sangavi, 66, from Erode, abstained from voting this time, unable to bear the searing heat. "I simply couldn’t think of going out anywhere in this heat. It's very risky to go out," she said.

In Chennai, the polling percentage improved compared to the 2014 and 2019 polls, particularly after 4 p.m. Jesindha Priya, 19, who voted in the Chennai Central constituency at 5 p.m., mentioned that her college organized a voter enrollment camp, encouraging many to vote despite the heat.

'Hope in democracy'

A 102-year-old woman voter in Dindigul, accompanied by an attendant, became an instant star on several social media platforms after casting her vote. Several LGBTQ voters in Tamil Nadu also shared images of their inked fingers on social media platforms, expressing their enthusiasm for participating in the democratic process. Transgender Sudha mentioned that many "community members are hopeful that voting will bring about positive change in their lives".

Dharmapuri constituency recorded the highest voter turnout in the state, with 75.44 percent. Sowmiya Anbumani, wife of PMK leader Anbumani Ramdoss, fights R. Ashokan of AIADMK and A. Mani of DMK in Dharmapuri constituency. Asked about the large turnout, senior PMK functionary K. Balu attributed it to "people returning from cities like Bengaluru and Chennai to vote".

Chennai Central constituency, with 67.35 percent, recorded the lowest figures in the state.  

Villages throw surprise

In some villages like Ekanapuram in Sriperumbudur constituency, Nadukuppam in Villupuram constituency, and Vengavayal in Tiruchi constituency, voters initially decided to boycott elections but later queued up after 5 pm, surprising polling officers.

Close to 1,500 voters lined up in booths in Nadukuppam village after 5 pm, causing chaos. However,  EC officials said people with voter ID or necessary documents would be allowed to vote even after 

Candidates meeting at polling stations provided photo opportunities for the media. Tamilisai Soundararjan, BJP leader and contestant in the Chennai South constituency, met Premalatha, leader of the DMDK party, and her son Vijaya Prabhakaran, a contestant from the Virudhunagar constituency, at the Salligramam polling station. 

Celebrities from the Tamil film industry, like Vijay, Ajith, and Trisha urged fans to vote. However, Vijay's presence at the Neelankarai polling booth caused chaos among voters due to fans accompanying the actor from the gate to the polling booth.