Chennai witnessed a significant voter turnout in its assembly constituencies, crossing the 50% mark by 1pm on Thursday. According to estimates from the Election Commission of India, more than 14 lakh people had cast their votes in the first half of the polling day. In the 2021 elections, a total of 23.94 lakh voters had exercised their franchise across the 16 constituencies in Chennai.
Highest Turnout Constituencies
The estimated poll percentage released by the Election Commission of India at 1.32pm for Chennai district showed that Virugambakkam recorded the highest turnout at 59.3%, closely followed by T Nagar (Thiyagarayanagar) at 58.01%. In Kolathur, where Chief Minister MK Stalin is contesting, at least 56.59% of voters had cast their ballots. Several other constituencies also registered more than 55% turnout, including Perambur (56.24%), Velachery (56.26%), Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar (55.68%), Thousand Lights (55.05%), and Anna Nagar (56.61%).
Significant Surge in Perambur
The highest increase in turnout in the last two hours was recorded in Perambur, where TVK leader C Joseph Vijay is contesting. The turnout in Perambur jumped by 19.98 percentage points, from 36.26% at 11am to 56.24% at 1pm. This surge indicates a strong voter response in that constituency.
Central and Southern Chennai
In central Chennai, Egmore topped with an estimated 53.67% turnout, followed by Harbour, the state's smallest constituency, which registered 54.39%. The Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni constituency, represented by Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, recorded 53.55% turnout. Southern parts such as Saidapet logged 52.76%.
Constituencies Below 50%
By contrast, some inner-city constituencies were still below the 50% mark. Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar logged 48.74%, Mylapore at 48.86%, and Royapuram at 49.67%. Most city segments had seen turnout roughly double between 9am and 11am, and then rise by another 18 to 20 percentage points by 1pm.
