Voter turnout in Chennai’s three Lok Sabha constituencies surged significantly in the final hours of polling on April 19, 2024, ultimately achieving record-breaking figures not seen since 1980. While initial polling percentages remained moderate in the afternoon, a last-minute rush to the booths propelled the city’s participation rates to impressive heights by the close of voting.
The Chenab Times has learned that despite earlier trends suggesting a lower turnout, the combined efforts and the electorate’s engagement in the final stretch of the election day led to a remarkable increase in voter participation across Chennai North, Chennai South, and Chennai Central constituencies.
According to data released by the Election Commission, the average voter turnout across Tamil Nadu in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections was approximately 72.09%. However, the three parliamentary constituencies in Chennai, which had registered lower percentages earlier in the day, saw a substantial jump in the final hours. By 7 PM, Chennai North recorded a turnout of 69.26%, Chennai South reached 67.82%, and Chennai Central registered 67.35%. This late surge contributed to all three constituencies in Chennai clocking their highest voter turnout since 1980.
Earlier in the day, reports indicated a more subdued pace of voting. By 3 PM, the percentages for these constituencies were considerably lower, with Chennai North at 44.84%, Chennai South at 42.10%, and Chennai Central at 41.47%. This stark contrast between the afternoon and evening figures highlights a significant last-minute surge in voter activity across the city. The Chief Electoral Officer of Tamil Nadu, Satyabrata Sahoo, noted that the city residents “fired up in voting in the last three hours — from 3 pm to 6 pm — taking the voter turnout from around the 45% mark to close to 70% mark.”
The Chennai Central constituency, in particular, had been reported as having the lowest voter turnout in Tamil Nadu until 3 PM, standing at 41.47%. However, by the close of polls, it too saw a significant increase, finishing at 67.35%. This pattern was observed across the state, where the overall turnout by 3 PM was 51.41%, rising to 72.09% by the end of the polling day.
The Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu, held on April 19, 2024, saw all 39 parliamentary seats go to the polls. The elections witnessed considerable engagement from various political parties, with prominent figures casting their votes. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its allies were strong contenders in the state, with leaders like Kanimozhi of the DMK expressing confidence in their party’s performance. In Chennai Central, the incumbent MP Dayanidhi Maran of the DMK secured a significant victory with 56.6% of the votes, defeating the BJP candidate Vinoj by a margin of 244,689 votes.
The performance of Chennai’s constituencies, particularly the late surge in voter turnout, surprised many observers given the earlier moderate figures. This phenomenon indicates a strong and determined participation from the city’s electorate, demonstrating a commitment to the democratic process. The overall voter turnout in Chennai’s constituencies, while lower than the state average at certain points in the day, ultimately reflected a robust engagement by the election day’s conclusion.
The total electorate in Chennai’s three parliamentary constituencies was over 48.69 lakh voters, of whom approximately 27.24 lakh exercised their franchise by the end of the day. The gender distribution showed a marginal difference, with a slightly higher number of male voters registered compared to female voters across the three constituencies. However, the turnout among electors categorized as ‘Others’ was notably low, with only 379 out of 1,462 casting their vote.
The earlier provided statistic of “seven Chennai constituencies record above 70% polling till 3pm” appears to be inaccurate based on the verified polling data. The actual figures indicate a much lower turnout by 3 PM, with the significant increase occurring in the latter part of the day, leading to record turnouts for the city by the close of polls.
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