Chennai, March 29 – The election process for the 234-member Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly is entering a crucial phase, with nominations set to begin on Monday for the upcoming Assembly elections scheduled for April 23.
The vote counting will take place on May 4, with the results to be announced on the same day.
With the Model Code of Conduct already in effect, political activity has intensified across the state. Major parties are in the final stages of selecting candidates and announcing star campaigners, while campaign strategies are being fine-tuned for what is expected to be a closely contested election.
According to election officials, nomination filing will begin at 11 a.m. on March 30 and continue until April 6. However, despite an eight-day window being officially provided, candidates will effectively have only four working days to submit their papers due to a series of holidays.
Nominations can only be filed on March 30 (Monday), April 2 (Wednesday), April 4 (Friday), and April 6 (Monday).
Nominations will not be accepted on March 31 due to Mahavir Jayanti, April 1 due to annual bank account closure, April 3 due to Good Friday, and April 5 due to Sunday.
Candidates must submit their nomination papers to the respective Returning Officers within the stipulated time.
The Election Commission has also enabled an online facility through the Suvidha portal (https://suvidha.cci.gov.in), allowing candidates to complete parts of the nomination process digitally.
Officials have warned of a heavy rush on April 6, the final day for filing nominations.
Given the limited number of working days, candidates have been advised to keep all documents ready in advance to avoid last-minute delays and overcrowding at submission centres.
The scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on April 7, while the last date for withdrawal of candidatures is April 9.
With the nomination process beginning, the electoral contest in Tamil Nadu is entering a decisive phase, paving the way for an intense campaign in the run-up to polling day.