Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 19 : Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi and his wife Lakshmi cast their votes at a polling booth in Chennai during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections on Friday.
Governor RN Ravi also urged people to turn up enthusiastically and do their democratic duty.
After casting his vote, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi said, "This is the festival of democracy. I am immensely happy and proud to have participated in it. This mark (inked finger) is the most beautiful insignia of a citizen."
"I urge all citizens, especially first-time voters, to take part in this festival with full enthusiasm," he added.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin also appealed to the voters to do their democratic duty. Taking to his official X Handle, the Tamil Nadu CM posted his pictures during the voting and said, "I have done my Democratic duty. I request people to do their democratic duty."
The Tamil Nadu CM also motivated the young voters to cast their vote with enthusiasm.
"Everyone vote correctly. Especially young people, who are first-time voters should vote with enthusiasm! The future of our India is in your hands..."
Voting is underway for all 39 seats in Tamil Nadu in the first phase of the general elections.
Voting for the first phase of Lok Sabha elections 2024 began on Friday across 102 parliamentary constituencies spread over 21 states and Union Territories as the mega seven-phase electoral exercise commenced at 7:00 am. Voters will exercise the franchise until 6:00 pm.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking his third consecutive term, while the opposition bloc-INDIA- a coalition of opposing parties formed to take on the BJP in the general elections, is eyeing ousting him from power.
In Tamil Nadu in the 2019 general elections, the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, comprising the Congress, VCK, MDMK, CPI, CPI(M), IUML, MMK, KMDK, TVK, and AIFB, registered a landslide victory, winning 38 of the 39 seats in the state.
Those voting in the first phase include seats in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhatisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry.
The second phase will be held on April 26 and the remaining phases will be May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1 accordingly.
An estimated 8.4 crore male voters, 8.23 crore female voters, and 11,371 third-gender electors are eligible to vote in the first phase of Lok Sabha polls, according to the ECI data.
The counting of votes will be held on June 4.
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