LS 2024 polls: BJP leader Murugan votes in Chennai, urges people to vote for corruption-free India

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 19 (ANI): Union Minister and BJP candidate from Nilgiris, L Murugan on Friday cast his vote at a polling station in Koyambedu in Chennai as the first phase of voting for the 2024 elections kicked off on Friday.

Murugan urged voters, especially yfirst-time voters, to come forward and cast their vote for a developed and corruption-free nation, Viksit Bharat.

“I urge the voters to come forward and cast their vote for Viksit Bharat, a developed nation and corruption-free nation. So, I appeal to the first-time votes, women and all voters to come forward to vote 100 per cent.”

Voting is underway for all 39 seats in Tamil Nadu in the first phase of the general elections.

The mega seven-phase electoral exercise commenced at 7 am today in 102 parliamentary constituencies spread over 21 states and Union Territories.

Voters will exercise their franchise until 6 pm today.

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 to oust him from power.

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.

The last general elections in 2019 were also held in seven phases.