Chennai, 07 April (H.S.):

The nomination phase for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections has formally concluded, paving the way for scrutiny of papers to begin on Tuesday at 11 a.m. across all constituencies. The scrutiny marks a critical checkpoint in the electoral process, where officials will verify the validity of candidates and their submissions.

Election authorities indicated that while the scrutiny exercise typically concludes within a day, constituencies that have received a high volume of nominations may require additional time. Initial details regarding rejected nominations are likely to emerge by Tuesday afternoon as officials complete the verification process.

With polling scheduled for April 23 and counting of votes set for May 4, the focus now shifts to finalising the list of eligible candidates. Aspirants will have the opportunity to withdraw their nominations until April 9, following which the final list of contesting candidates will be published by noon the same day.

The nomination filing process, which commenced on March 30, witnessed a steady rise in participation as the deadline approached. On the opening day, key leaders including M.K. Stalin from Kolathur, Vijay from Perambur, and Seeman from Karaikudi were among the prominent candidates to file nominations. A total of 573 nominations were submitted on day one.

The pace intensified in subsequent days, with 788 nominations filed on April 2 and a sharp spike to 2,069 on April 4. Within the first three days alone, nominations touched 3,430, reflecting heightened political activity across the State.

The final day saw a surge in turnout, coinciding with an auspicious muhurtham, leading to long queues at election offices. Authorities deployed token systems in several locations to manage the crowds and ensure orderly submission of papers.

Among the key late entrants was Edappadi K. Palaniswami, who filed his nomination from Edappadi in Salem district, marking his eighth consecutive contest from the constituency.

Officials also confirmed that the supplementary electoral roll has been finalised, with the integrated voter list expected to be released shortly, setting the stage for a high-stakes electoral battle in Tamil Nadu.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman