LS polls: Total voter turnout in Tamil Nadu revised to 69.72%

CHENNAI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday revised the final voter turnout of Tamil Nadu and said the State recorded a voter turnout of 69.72 per cent in the April 19 Lok Sabha polls.

The ECI has revised the voter turnout to 69.72 per cent, from the earlier 69.46 per cent.

According to the data released by the Secretariat of the Election Commission of India, Dharmapuri, the Vanniyar-dominant constituency where the presence of PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss's wife Soumiya spiced up the three-front contest, witnessed the highest polling at 81. 20 per cent.

Another Vanniyar-dominant constituency Kallakurichi witnessed 79.21 per cent polling.

The other constituencies that fall under Vanniyar-belt and Kongu-belt too witnessed the highest polling percentage above 70%.

 Karur, which falls under the Kongu belt, and a native of State BJP president K Annamalai witnessed the 78.70 per cent polling.

Salem, a native of AIADMK strongman Edappadi K Palaniswami witnessed the 78.16 per cent polling.

Namakkal, a Kongu land, witnessed 78.21 per cent polling. While Perambalur witnessed 77.43%, Chidambaram witnessed 76.37%. While Villupuram recorded 76.52%, Arani witnessed 75.76% polling.

 "Kancheepuram 71.68%, Arakkonam 74.19%, Vellore 73.53%, Krishnagiri 71.50%, Tiruvannamalai 74.24%, Erode 70.59%, Tiruppur 70.62%, The Nilgiris 70.95%, Pollachi 70.41%, Dindigul 71.14%, Cuddalore 72.57%, Mayiladuthurai 70.09%, Nagapattinam 71.94%, Virudhunagar 70.22%," a data released by the ECI read.

However, cities including Chennai and Coimbatore, where the population and literacy is high, witnessed a minimum of polling.

Going by the data, Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, and Tirunelveli witnessed polling below 70%.

Chennai Central and Chennai South Lok Sabha constituencies, where the presence of former union minister Dayanidhi Maran and former Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan spiced up the three-front contest, witnessed the lowest polling at 53.96 per cent and 54.17 per cent, respectively.

 Meanwhile, Chennai North Lok Sabha constituency witnessed 60.11%.

Coimbatore, where the BJP's heavyweight K Annamalai is contesting, witnessed 64.89 per cent.

While Tiruchirappalli recorded 67.51 per cent polling, Madurai witnessed 62.04 per cent.

"Tirunelveli witnessed 64.10%, Kanniyakumari 65.44%, Tenkasi 67.65%, Thoothukudi 66.88%, Ramanathapuram 68.19%, Theni 69.84%, Sivaganga 64.26%, Thanjavur 68.27%, Sriperumbudur 60.25%, Tiruvallur 68.59%," the ECI data said.

Notably, of the 6,23,33,925 electors, 4,34,588,75 voters exercised their franchise in their respective polling stations across the State.