Chennai/Thiruvananthapuram:
Besides AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa and 91-year-old wheelchair-bound Karunanidhi, the poll arena in Tamil Nadu also has two other chief ministerial candidates--actor-turned-politician Vijayakanth of DMDK-PWF-TMC combine and PMK's Anbumani Ramadoss.
Of the total 234 constituencies, polling will be held in 233 seats as the Election Commission had deferred the process in Aravakurichi segment in Karur district to May 23 due to "unlawful" activities of candidates and political parties in "bribing" voters. Counting of votes in Aravakurichi will be taken up on May 25.
More than a lakh police and paramilitary personnel would man over 65,000 polling booths across the state, which is witnessing a multi-cornered contest also featuring BJP, seeking to make a mark along with a few minor allies.
RK Nagar has the maximum number of candidates at 45, with DMK (Shimla Muthuchozhan) and VCK (Vasanthi Devi) also fielding women nominees to take on Ms Jayalalithaa. BJP's MN Raja is also in the fray.
Positioning itself as a viable third front, the combine of DMDK, People's Welfare Front comprising Vaiko's MDMK, CPI-M, CPI and VCK and Tamil Maanila Congress led by GK Vasan has also attacked both DMK and AIADMK, which have ruled the state alternately in recent decades, and pushed for a change.
A total of 1,203 candidates, including 109 women, are contesting for the 140 Assembly seats.
Besides Congress's Mr Chandy and Mr Achuthanandan, the 92-year- old CPI-M veteran, and his party colleague Pinarayi Vijayan, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala (Congress), IUML leader and Industries Minister PK Kunhalikutty, former Finance Minister KM Mani (Kerala Congress-M), BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan, former Union minister O Rajagopal and cricketer Sreesanth are among the key candidates.
Some Mollywood actors are also in the fray.
BJP has thrown its hat in the poll arena in the state known for its bipolar polity after stitching up an alliance with the newly floated Bharat Dharma Jana Sena, a party floated by the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam, an organisation of the backward Ezhava Hindu community. BJP is yet to open an account either to the Assembly or Parliament from Kerala.
The two month-long hectic campaign in soaring summer heat saw national leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who made three trips to the state to address five meetings, wooing the voters.
PM Modi's controversial Kerala-Somalia comparison saw the Malayalee sentiment getting hurt, with social media going viral with the hashtag #Po mone Modi# (go off Modi) and the two rival fronts attacking him for the remark.
However, BJP defended the prime minister, saying people were "twisting facts" on his remarks and he had only highlighted the plight of the tribal community in the state and his desire to improve their living conditions.
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and other party leaders including AK Antony and Ghulam Nabi Azad, CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI national secretary Sudhakar Reddy, former prime minister Deva Gowda, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar were among the prominent politicians who campaigned for their respective party candidates.
Mr Achuthanandan, LDF's poll mascot, hit the campaign trail despite his advanced age and sweltering heat.
The solar scam and brutal rape and murder of a woman in the state were among other key issues that figured during the campaign.
Assembly polls for Tamil Nadu and Kerala to take place tomorrow that will decide the fate of Chief Ministers Jayalalithaa and Oommen Chandy and their arch rivals and nonagenarians M Karunanidhi and VS Achuthanandan in their respective states which will witness multi-cornered contests.
Puducherry also goes to the polls tomorrow.
Counting of votes in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry where rival candidates fought a gruelling two-month campaign in peak summer along with West Bengal and Assam will be taken up on May 19 to decide the outcome of what is being described as 'mini' general elections.
Besides AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa and 91-year-old wheelchair-bound Karunanidhi, the poll arena in Tamil Nadu also has two other chief ministerial candidates--actor-turned-politician Vijayakanth of DMDK-PWF-TMC combine and PMK's Anbumani Ramadoss.
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Of the total 234 constituencies, polling will be held in 233 seats as the Election Commission had deferred the process in Aravakurichi segment in Karur district to May 23 due to "unlawful" activities of candidates and political parties in "bribing" voters. Counting of votes in Aravakurichi will be taken up on May 25.
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More than a lakh police and paramilitary personnel would man over 65,000 polling booths across the state, which is witnessing a multi-cornered contest also featuring BJP, seeking to make a mark along with a few minor allies.
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RK Nagar has the maximum number of candidates at 45, with DMK (Shimla Muthuchozhan) and VCK (Vasanthi Devi) also fielding women nominees to take on Ms Jayalalithaa. BJP's MN Raja is also in the fray.
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Positioning itself as a viable third front, the combine of DMDK, People's Welfare Front comprising Vaiko's MDMK, CPI-M, CPI and VCK and Tamil Maanila Congress led by GK Vasan has also attacked both DMK and AIADMK, which have ruled the state alternately in recent decades, and pushed for a change.
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The polls in Kerala will also decide the fate of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. (File photo)
A total of 1,203 candidates, including 109 women, are contesting for the 140 Assembly seats.
Besides Congress's Mr Chandy and Mr Achuthanandan, the 92-year- old CPI-M veteran, and his party colleague Pinarayi Vijayan, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala (Congress), IUML leader and Industries Minister PK Kunhalikutty, former Finance Minister KM Mani (Kerala Congress-M), BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan, former Union minister O Rajagopal and cricketer Sreesanth are among the key candidates.
Some Mollywood actors are also in the fray.
BJP has thrown its hat in the poll arena in the state known for its bipolar polity after stitching up an alliance with the newly floated Bharat Dharma Jana Sena, a party floated by the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam, an organisation of the backward Ezhava Hindu community. BJP is yet to open an account either to the Assembly or Parliament from Kerala.
The two month-long hectic campaign in soaring summer heat saw national leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who made three trips to the state to address five meetings, wooing the voters.
PM Modi's controversial Kerala-Somalia comparison saw the Malayalee sentiment getting hurt, with social media going viral with the hashtag #Po mone Modi# (go off Modi) and the two rival fronts attacking him for the remark.
However, BJP defended the prime minister, saying people were "twisting facts" on his remarks and he had only highlighted the plight of the tribal community in the state and his desire to improve their living conditions.
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and other party leaders including AK Antony and Ghulam Nabi Azad, CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI national secretary Sudhakar Reddy, former prime minister Deva Gowda, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar were among the prominent politicians who campaigned for their respective party candidates.
Mr Achuthanandan, LDF's poll mascot, hit the campaign trail despite his advanced age and sweltering heat.
The solar scam and brutal rape and murder of a woman in the state were among other key issues that figured during the campaign.
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