Polling for the crucial by-election to the Radhakrishnan Nagar (R.K. Nagar) Assembly constituency began here on Thursday at 8 a.m. Over two lakh voters are eligible to decide the fate of 59 candidates in one of the smallest constituencies in Tamil Nadu. The by-poll was necessitated following the death of AIADMK leader and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on December 5, 2016, who represented the seat. The counting of votes will take place on December 24. The major contenders are AIADMK's E. Madhusudhanan, DMK's N. Marudhu Ganesh, Dinakaran -- contesting as an Independent -- and Bharatiya Janata Party's K. Nagarajan.

Representational Picture