While voting in Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry has been completed, first-phase polling in West Bengal and single-phase polling in Tamil Nadu are set to take place tomorrow.

Tamils living in countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain, as well as in Europe, the United States, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, have begun travelling to Tamil Nadu by flights to participate in the election.

Members of Tamil associations in Bahrain said many of them were keen to return home, vote on April 23, spend some time with their families, and stay back to watch the election results before returning to work abroad.

Initially, around 300 Tamils in Bahrain had planned to travel together to Chennai on a chartered flight. However, due to the ongoing conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States, aviation fuel prices have risen sharply, making the charter option too expensive. The estimated cost of arranging a special flight was said to be around Rs 2.15 crore.

Following this, the group dropped the charter plan and decided to travel individually on regular flights. Many are now arriving in Chennai, Tiruchy, Coimbatore and Thiruvananthapuram, before proceeding to their hometowns to vote.

Chennai airport officials said that while the usual international arrivals average around 8,000, a significant surge was noted as voters arrive.

The enthusiasm shown by overseas Tamils, who are spending huge amounts on travel to participate in the election, has drawn attention. This has also created awareness among people about the importance of their democratic rights.