Thousands of voters who work or study in cities such as Chennai and Coimbatore were left stranded on Thursday as they tried to travel back to their hometowns to cast their votes. The shortage of buses, especially for southern and delta districts, was cited as a key reason for lower polling percentages in the south until 3 pm.
With polling taking place on a working day, many began their journeys only from Wednesday night. Large crowds gathered at major terminals including Kilambakkam and Koyambedu in Chennai and Singanallur in Coimbatore, but available buses filled up quickly, leaving many waiting for hours.
The state government had earlier announced that 1,400 additional buses would be operated from Chennai for voters’ convenience. However, commuters said the promised additional services were not visible on the ground, leading to rising tension and brief protests at bus stands, where police intervened to calm the situation.
Several travellers attempted to switch routes via Villupuram and Tiruchirappalli, but reported a lack of connecting buses from those hubs as well, triggering road block protests in some places. Heavy traffic was also reported on the GST Road from early morning, with toll gates increasing entries for southbound vehicles.
As many remained stuck en route and feared they would not reach their polling stations in time, demands were raised to extend voting hours until 8 pm. The report urged the Election Commission to take immediate steps to address the situation.
