Elections: Crowds of people at train and bus stations

Tamil Nadu: Ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections on Thursday (April 23), Chennai and surrounding areas witnessed massive crowds. Railway stations and bus stands began to swell from late evening as people returned to their hometowns to cast their votes.

The government has declared a public holiday on the day of the Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu. Private companies have also been instructed to grant leave to their employees to vote. Consequently, people working in major cities like Chennai began leaving for their homes as early as Wednesday afternoon.

Heavy footfall was witnessed at Chennai Central and Egmore railway stations. Similarly, long queues of passengers were seen at major bus terminals like Klumpakkam, Koyambedu, Madhavaram, Tambaram, and Adyar. People were seen waiting for buses and trains to reach their destinations in various parts of the state, including Madurai, Salem, Kanchipuram, Vellore, Kumbakonam, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Tiruvannamalai, and Dharmapuri.

The large number of people traveling together to exercise their franchise on polling day has put pressure on the transport system. Crowds at bus stands and railway stations caused inconvenience to passengers at many places. In some places, passengers had to jostle to board buses.

Women, children, pregnant women, and the elderly were the most affected by the crowds, who faced greater difficulties during their travel. In many places, people had to wait for long periods of time, and transport services were delayed.

The administration arranged for additional buses and security personnel to control the crowd and facilitate passengers, but the large number of people traveling together continued to exert pressure.

The enthusiasm for voting was evident, and this prompted a large number of migrant voters to leave for their hometowns. Despite appeals from the Election Commission and the administration, crowds continued to remain at polling stations in the morning and evening.

Security arrangements have been strengthened to ensure a peaceful voting process in the state. Strict vigil will be maintained at all polling stations on polling day to ensure people can exercise their franchise without any hassle.

Enthusiasm for voting prevailed throughout the state, and people were seen returning to their homes to participate in the democratic process.