Chennai, Ap 23: Actor S. Ajith Kumar exercised his democratic right by casting his vote at a polling station in the Thiruvanmiyur area of Chennai on Thursday, as polling commenced across key constituencies in Tamil Nadu. The actor was seen arriving at the booth and participating alongside other voters.

Tamil Nadu BJP Vice President Khushbu Sundar also cast her vote in Mylapore. Sundar stressed the importance of responsible democratic participation. “You can see the smile on my face—that says it all. Casting my vote is my biggest democratic right and matters a lot to me as a citizen,” she said. She urged voters to exercise their franchise responsibly, adding, “Today is the time for people to take a call and decision, and we leave it to them.”

The Mylapore constituency sees a direct contest between BJP candidate Tamilisai Soundararajan and DMK’s D. Velu.

Polling for the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections is being held in a single phase today, while West Bengal is conducting the first phase of its 2026 Assembly elections, with the second phase scheduled for April 29. Voting in both states will conclude at 6:00 pm, and counting is scheduled for May 4.

Tamil Nadu has 234 constituencies up for election, with the main contest expected between the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance—including the Indian National Congress, DMDK, and VCK—and the AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance, which includes BJP and PMK. While DMK is campaigning on its welfare record, the AIADMK-led NDA is pushing for a comeback. Actor-turned-politician Vijay is also making his electoral debut with his party TVK, potentially creating a three-way fight in several key constituencies.