Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 23 (ANI): Actor S. Ajith Kumar cast his vote at a polling station in Thiruvanmiyur area of Chennai on Thursday as polling took place across key constituencies.

The popular actor was seen arriving at the booth and participated in the democratic process along with other voters.

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Tamil Nadu BJP Vice President Khusbu Sundar also cast her vote in Mylapore. Speaking to ANI after casting her vote, Sundar emphasised the importance of democratic participation. "You can see the smile on my face, that says it all. Casting my vote has been my biggest democratic right and I think this matters a lot to me as a citizen of the country..," she said.

She further urged voters to exercise their franchise responsibly. "Today is the time for people to take a call and decision and we leave it to them," she added.

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The constituency sees a contest between BJP's Tamilisai Soundararajan here and DMK's D. Velu.

Polling for the Assembly elections began in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal (Phase 1) amid tight security on Thursday. The voting will conclude at 6:00 pm today in both states.The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections are being held in a single phase today, while West Bengal will witness two phases of polling in the Assembly elections 2026, with the second phase scheduled to take place on April 29.The counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.Polling is being held for 234 Assembly constituencies across Tamil Nadu.

The main contest is expected between the DMK-led alliance, which includes the Indian National Congress, DMDK, and VCK, and the National Democratic Alliance led by AIADMK with BJP and PMK as allies.

With the DMK banking on its welfare record, the AIADMK-led NDA is fighting for a comeback.Actor-turned-politician Vijay is also set to make his electoral debut with his party TVK, which could turn the contest into a three-way fight. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)