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Tamil Nadu Elections: Passengers stage protest at Kilambakkam over bus shortage, return home without voting
Sanjeev Kumar | April 23, 2026 12:21 PM CST

Chennai: While voting for the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections began briskly this morning, a critical situation has unfolded at the Kilambakkam bus terminus, where thousands of voters are returning home in disappointment, unable to cast their ballots due to a severe lack of adequate bus services. Passengers bound for southern districts—particularly Trichy, Madurai, and Nellai—waited for extended periods, only to find themselves stranded.

Overnight wait and protest

Since yesterday evening, the crowd at the Kilambakkam bus terminus had been uncontrollable as people gathered to travel to cast their votes. Frustrated by the absence of buses until 1:00 AM, agitated passengers staged a spontaneous sit-in protest on the GST Road located just outside the bus terminus. Consequently, traffic in the area was severely disrupted.

A contingent of over 100 police personnel engaged in negotiations with the protesters; however, bus services failed to normalize even into the early hours of the morning. As buses failed to arrive even past 8:00 AM this morning, people who had planned to travel to their hometowns to cast their votes faced bitter disappointment.

Voters return home in despair

In a state of despair—realizing that “even if we leave for our hometowns now, we won’t reach there before voting concludes”—thousands of voters have begun returning to Chennai. Social activists have expressed concern that this situation is likely to result in tens of thousands of votes going unrecorded.

Allegations against transport department

Passengers allege that the apathy of the Transport Department is the root cause of this crisis, further accusing private bus operators of exploiting the situation to charge fares that are two to three times higher than usual. Officials, however, maintain that all available buses had already departed for the southern districts and that logistical challenges persisted in mobilizing additional private buses during the late-night hours.

Widespread disruptions

Currently, severe traffic congestion is being witnessed in and around the Kilambakkam and Vandalur areas. The sight of citizens—who had arrived with enthusiasm to fulfill their democratic duty—returning home in tears due to a lack of proper planning has sparked widespread outrage and concern.

Similarly, in Poonamallee, people staged a blockade due to the unavailability of buses bound for Kanchipuram. Compared to major festivals like Diwali and Pongal, bus terminals are witnessing even larger crowds this time around, as people gather in droves to cast their votes in the elections. Hotels situated along the Bangalore National Highway were also teeming with people.

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