The process of finalising candidates for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections has entered its decisive phase, with Thursday marking the last date for withdrawal of nominations.
Polling for the Assembly elections is scheduled to be held on April 23, with political activity intensifying across the state. The filing of nomination papers began on March 30 and concluded on April 6, spanning four working days due to intervening holidays.
According to data released by the Election Commission of India, there was a sharp surge in nominations as the deadline approached. A total of 573 nominations were filed on the first day, which increased to 1,361 on the second day. The third day saw a steep rise to 3,430 nominations, while the final day recorded a massive jump with 7,599 nomination papers submitted across constituencies.
All submitted nominations were taken up for scrutiny on April 7 by Returning Officers in respective constituencies. Following detailed verification, 5,081 nominations were found to be valid, while 2,480 were rejected due to various discrepancies. Additionally, 38 candidates withdrew their nominations after the scrutiny process.
Thursday provides the final window for withdrawal, open between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Candidates or their authorised representatives can submit withdrawal requests to Returning Officers within this timeframe. Once the process concludes, the Election Commission will release the final list of contesting candidates later in the day.
Officials stated that the confirmed candidate list will be used to prepare ballot units for Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), including candidate names, election symbols, and photographs. Necessary logistical arrangements are currently underway to ensure timely completion.
With the contesting field set to be finalised, political parties are expected to ramp up campaign efforts across Tamil Nadu, setting the stage for an intense electoral battle ahead of polling day.
