Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 19 (ANI): Amidst the fervour of electoral democracy, Tamil Nadu marked the beginning of the Lok Sabha polls today, with superstar Rajnikanth being one of the early voters The 72-year-old recipient of the Padma Vibhushan award made his way to a polling station clad in all-white attire. Rajnikanth was seen casting his vote at Stella Maris College in Chennai during the early hours of Friday. #WATCH | Actor Rajnikanth casts his vote at a polling booth in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. #LokSabhaElections2024 pic.twitter.com/6Ukwayi5sv — ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2024 Voting is currently in progress for all 39 constituencies in Tamil Nadu as part of the initial phase of the general elections. The extensive seven-phase electoral process commenced at 7 am today, encompassing 102 parliamentary constituencies across 21 states and Union Territories. Electors have the opportunity to cast their votes until 6 pm today. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is vying for his third consecutive term, while the opposition formed a coalition, known as INDIA, to challenge the BJP in these general elections. The INDIA bloc aims to unseat PM Modi from power. PM Modi, recognising the significance of these elections, urged citizens across the nation to exercise their franchise in record numbers. In a social media post on X, he emphasised the importance of every vote and called upon young and first-time voters to participate actively in shaping the future of the nation. In the 2019 general elections, the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, which includes the Congress, VCK, MDMK, CPI, CPI(M), IUML, MMK, KMDK, TVK, and AIFB, secured an overwhelming victory, winning 38 out of 39 seats in Tamil Nadu. The first phase of voting encompasses constituencies in various states such as Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, 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. Subsequent phases are scheduled as follows: the second phase on April 26, followed by May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1, each phase covering different constituencies. This mirrors the structure of the previous general elections held in 2019, which were also conducted in seven phases. The counting of votes will be done on June 4. (ANI)