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More than 5.79 crore voters will seal the fate of 3,740 aspirants including arch rivals Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and Dravida Munnetra Kazagham president M Karunanidhi, as the stage is set for polling in 233 assembly seats in Tamil Nadu under tight vigil on Monday.
Besides All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam supremo Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi, the electoral field also has two other chief ministerial
candidates -- actor-turned politician Vijayakant of Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam-People’s Welfare Front-Tamil Maanila Congress combine and Pattali Makkal Katchi’s Anbumani Ramadoss.
Of the total 234 constituencies, polling will be held in 233 seats as the Election Commission had deferred the process in Aravakurichi segment in Karur district to May 23 due to “unlawful” activities of candidates and political parties in “bribing” voters.
Incidentally, election authorities have seized more than Rs 100 crore unaccounted cash in the state, the largest among the five states where elections are held since last month, amid allegations by rivals that both AIADMK and DMK were unleashing money power to lure voters.
More than a lakh police and paramilitary personnel would man over 65,000 polling booths across the state, which is witnessing a multi-cornered contest also featuring the Bharatiya Janata Party, seeking to make a mark along with a few minor allies.
Jayalalithaa, seeking a record second successive term in office, and Karunanidhi, eyeing to lead DMK to power after back-to-back drubbings in the 2011 assembly and 2014 Lok Sabha elections, are contesting from R K Nagar in the city and Thiruvarur respectively.
R K Nagar has the maximum number of candidates at 45, with DMK (Shimla Muthuchozhan) and VCK (Vasanthi Devi) also fielding women nominees to take on Jayalalithaa. BJP’s M N Raja is also in the fray.
BJP’s candidates include its National Secretary H Raja and state president Tamilisai Sounderrajan.
In their hectic campaign, Jayalalithaa sought a renewed mandate based on her government’s performance while Karunanidhi harped on the theme of ‘change’ for his party to come to power after a five year hiatus.
Jayalalithaa also launched scathing attacks on the DMK-Congress alliance, restored after the split in 2013, calling it a ‘coalition of loot’ as she slammed them for corruption, such as in 2G spectrum allocation, CWG and AgustaWestland deal.
Her party’s manifesto offered several freebies, including mobile phone and 100 unit free power to all, and promised to usher in a phased manner prohibition, an issue raised by other parties prominently during the electioneering.
DMK and others have assured to implement prohibition in one go if they were voted to power.
AIADMK and DMK have been slapped showcause notices by the Election Commission for violating model code, saying their election manifestos do not “substantially” fulfil its guidelines and asked to respond by 5 pm on Sunday.
Karunanidhi, who described Jayalalithaa as a ‘Queen,’ levelled charges of corruption and money power against his party’s arch-rival even as he repeatedly made fervent pleas to the voters to chose DMK over AIADMK on May 16.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who addressed several rallies, and other BJP leaders targeted the two Dravidian parties for corruption and alleged non-performance.
Positioning itself as a viable third front, the combine of DMDK, People’s Welfare Front comprising Vaiko’s MDMK, Communist Party of India-Marxist, CPI and VCK and Tamil Maanila Congress led by G K Vasan has also attacked both DMK and AIADMK, which have ruled the state alternately in recent decades and pushed for a change.
To ensure free and fair polling, the state police will deploy about 77,000 personnel drawn from its own force, Home Guards, Ex-servicemen and ex-forestmen.
The Election Commission has provided 30,000 paramilitary forces personnel.
In the 65,616 polling booths set up across the state, around 6,300 have been identified as sensitive where extra monitoring mechanisms have been put in place.
Control rooms have been set up and police presence increased in many booths.
Counting of votes will be taken up on May 19 even as Tamil Nadu is known to generally elect one clear winner from the two Dravidian giants, DMK and AIADMK, since 1967.
Counting in Aravakurichi will be done on May 25. Local DMK heavyweight K C Palanichamy is locking horns with AIADMK’s former Transport Minister K T Senthil Balaji in the constituency.
Considering the needs of differently-abled persons, the EC has made special arrangements, including distributing Braille material and making arrangements for wheelchairs which can even be booked online.
Where there were no ramps or they were not in proper shape, directives had been given to make temporary arrangements, Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Lakhoni said.