Chennai, April 18: The second phase of Lok Sabha elections 2019 has commenced, with polls being held today across 38 of the 39 constituencies in Tamil Nadu. In addition to the parliamentary segments, assembly bypolls in 18 seats have also begun -- the outcome of which could determine the fate of the Palaniswami-Panneerselvam-led AIADMK government in the state. Among the first voters in Tamil Nadu were former finance minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram and Tamil superstar Rajinikanth. While Chidambaram cast his vote in Sivaganga's Karaikudi, Rajinikanth voted in Chennai.

Voting, which started at 7 am, ended at 5 pm as per the stipulated time period. However, voters queued up at the closing hours were allowed to register their mandate till 6pm. As per the EC data, a total of 61.52 per cent voting has been recorded. Vellore Lok Sabha Elections Cancelled After Cash Seizures From DMK Candidate's Office.

Photos: P Chidambaram and Rajinikanth Cast Votes In Tamil Nadu

The data released by the Election Commission said there are 5.99 crore registered voters in the state, out of which 2.95 crore are male and 3.02 crore female, while 5,790 are transgender. The total number of candidates in fray mount to 845, including 65 women and 559 independents.

The EC has set up 3,735 polling stations and 67,700 voting booths across Tamil Nadu for the smooth conduct of the elections. A total of 1.4 lakh security personnel have been deployed to maintain a conducive atmosphere for free and fair polls.

Tamil Nadu Lok Sabha Elections: List of Constituencies

State (No. of seats) Lok Sabha constituency
Tamil Nadu (All 38) Tirvallur, Chennai North, Chennai South, Chennai Central, Sriperumbudur, Kancheepuram, Arakkonam, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Tiruvannamalai, Arani, Viluppuram, Kallakurichi, Salem, Namakkal, Erode, Tiruppur, Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Pollachi, Dindigul, Karur, Tiruchirapalli, Perambalur, Cuddalore, Chidambaram, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Sivaganga, Madurai, Theni, Virudhunagar, Ramanathapuram, Thoothukoodi, Tenkasi, Tirunelveli, Kanniyakumari

While 39 Lok Sabha seats were originally scheduled to go to polls, the polling in Vellore was deferred by the EC on Tuesday, days after a massive cash haul at premises linked to DMK candidate Kathir Anand.

The primary contest in the 38 parliamentary constituencies of Tamil Nadu is between the ruling AIADMK-BJP alliance and a resurgent DMK-Congress combine. However, expelled AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran's AMMK and actor-politician Makkal Needhi Maiam could end up altering the poll results in some constituencies.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 18, 2019 07:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).