Tamil Nadu Election 2021: Voting dates, poll schedule, timings, election results, all FAQs

The 16th legislative assembly election of Tamil Nadu is scheduled to be held on April 6, 2021. In the upcoming assembly polls, the incumbent chief minister, Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS), and his deputy, O Panneerselvam (OPS), will have a huge pressure to establish their position as the rightful heirs to the legacy of J Jayalalitha after their defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

For their chief opponent MK Stalin of the Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (DMK) too, the TN assembly elections 2021 are equally important as he will have to establish his position within his family and the party as the rightful heir to the legacy of M Karunanidhi. He is also under pressure to reinvigorate DMK that has been out of power in the state for a decade.

When is the Tamil Nadu assembly Election 2021?

The sixteenth legislative assembly election of Tamil Nadu is scheduled to be held on Tuesday, April 6, 2021.

Tamil Nadu Election 2021 voting timings

In the TN assembly polls, the voting is likely to start at 8 AM and end at 6 PM.

Tamil Nadu election results in 2021: Date and counting of votes timings

The date of counting votes of the Tamil Nadu legislative election is May 2. The counting of votes will begin in the early morning around 8 am on the same day. The final results will be declared by evening.

How many constituencies are there in Tamil Nadu?

The state consists of a total of 234 constituencies. The term of the previous legislative assembly will end on May 24, 2021.

Which parties are popular in Tamil Nadu?

Tamil Nadu's politics has been dominated by the state's two leading parties, DMK and AIADMK, for the last 50 years. In 2011, AIADMK under J Jayalalithaa defeated the DMK headed by M Karunanidhi. During the 2016 assembly elections, the AIADMK retained its majority with 136 seats, while the DMK increased its strength to 98 seats.However, in the Tamil Nadu assembly election 2021, both key political parties have a change in their leadership due to the death of the two key leaders, Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi, who died in 2016 and 2018, respectively.In this election, AIADMK is led by the incumbent Chief Minister of the state Palaniswami, while DMK is led by Karunanidhi's son Stalin.Apart from AIADMK and DMK, the other political parties that will be contesting the Tamil Nadu assembly elections are Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress party.

The BJP will contest as an NDA partner with the AIADMK on 25 assembly seats. The Congress has sealed the deal with DMK and will also contest on 25 assembly seats.

How many districts are there in Tamil Nadu?

Tamil Nadu has a total of 38 districts, of which Chengalpattu (November 29, 2019), Kallakurichi (November 26, 2019), Ranipet (November 28, 2019), Tenkasi (November 22, 2019), Tirupattur (November 28, 2019), and Mayiladuthurai (December 28, 2020) are newly formed.

How many MP seats are there in Tamil Nadu?

The state has as many as 39 Lok sabha seats. In the 2019 general election, the United Progressive Alliance, led by the DMK, won a landslide victory, taking 38 of the 39 seats.

Which party won polls in Tamil Nadu in 2016?

At present, AIADMK is the ruling government of the state. In the 2016 assembly election, the AIADMK swept the polls, winning 135 out of 234 seats. On May 23, 2016, Jayalalithaa was sworn in as Chief Minister for the sixth time. On September 22, 2016, she was admitted to Apollo Hospital, Chennai, due to fever and dehydration. After a prolonged illness, she died on December 5, 2016.After her death, Jayalalithaa's long-time friend VK Sasikala was selected unanimously as the General Secretary of the party on December 16, 2016. On February 5, 2017, she was selected as the leader of the legislative assembly as the chief minister. Subsequently, Panneerselvam rebelled against Sasikala, bringing in a new twist to Tamil Nadu politics. Due to a conviction in the disproportionate assets case, Sasikala was sentenced to four years imprisonment in the Bengaluru central prison. Before that, she appointed Edappadi K Palaniswami as the legislative party leader (chief minister).

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