Tamil Nadu’s polling day was supposed to be all about democracy in action, but in Tirupattur, a small incident added a bit of drama to the otherwise smooth voting process. While millions of people quietly queued up to cast their votes across the state, a TVK worker ended up in police custody after allegedly trying to turn his voting moment into a social media reel.
Officials said the day remained largely peaceful and well-organised across the state, but strict surveillance and quick action ensured that election rules were not taken lightly anywhere.
Secret reel inside booth sparks trouble
In Tirupattur Assembly constituency, a worker named Shakthivel, associated with the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), allegedly crossed a clear line during voting. Inside the polling compartment, he reportedly used his mobile phone to record himself casting his vote.
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What made it more sensitive was that he was seen voting for the party’s “whistle” symbol while filming the act. The video did not stay private for long. It was later uploaded as a reel on social media, which immediately raised red flags.
Election officials monitoring polling activity quickly noticed the clip and flagged the incident.
CCTV eyes catch the slip, police move in
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has been very clear for years: mobile phones are not allowed inside polling compartments. The rule exists to protect ballot secrecy and prevent any influence, pressure, or misuse of voting visuals.
In this case, CCTV surveillance played a key role. Officials tracking booth activity spotted the violation through monitoring systems and acted quickly. Police were informed immediately and reached the polling station without delay.
Shakthivel was taken into custody from the booth itself. Authorities confirmed that legal action is now being initiated under relevant election law provisions.
Massive election day in Tamil Nadu
The incident took place during a huge democratic exercise in Tamil Nadu, where voting is being held in a single phase. The scale of the election is massive; over 5.73 crore voters are eligible to decide the fate of 4,023 candidates.
These candidates are competing across 234 Assembly constituencies, making it one of the largest political contests in the state. To manage this, the Election Commission has set up a huge network of 75,064 polling booths across Tamil Nadu.
From early morning at 7 am, polling began smoothly. Security forces were deployed in large numbers, and officials kept a close watch on every constituency to ensure fairness and order.