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Ruling AIADMK wins both seats in Tamil Nadu bypolls
AIADMK nominee R Muthamilselvan defeated N Pugazhendhi of DMK by a margin of 44,924 votes in Vikravandi. Muthamalselvan got 1,13,766 votes while Pugazhendhi polled 68,842 votes. The seat was held by the DMK.
After a poor performance in the Lok Sabha polls in which it won just one of the 39 seats in Tamil Nadu, the ruling AIADMK has made a comeback of sorts to win the Vikravandi and Nanguneri assembly seats from the opposition DMK and Congress.
AIADMK nominee R Muthamilselvan defeated N Pugazhendhi of DMK by a margin of 44,924 votes in Vikravandi. Muthamalselvan got 1,13,766 votes while Pugazhendhi polled 68,842 votes. The seat was held by the DMK.
In Nanguneri, AIADMK’s V Narayanan got 95,377 votes while Ruby Manoharan of Congress got 61,932 votes. The seat was earlier held by the Congress.
Bypoll for Nanguneri was necessitated following the sitting MLA H Vasanthakumar’s election to the Lok Sabha from Kanyakumari. Vikravandi seat fell vacant after the death of DMK MLA K Radhamani in June.
Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami described the bypoll results as a “triumph of truth”.
“During the campaign, DMK leader MK Stalin made unsubstantiated allegations against AIADMK government and gave false promises to the voters,” Palaniswami told the media at the AIADMK headquarters in Chennai.
Deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam expressed confidence that the AIADMK’s winning streak would continue in the coming local body polls as well.
“The verdict in Vikravandi and Nanguneri is proof of the AIADMK’s track record of providing good governance,” Panneerselvam said.
DMK president MK Stalin said his party accepts the people’s mandate with grace and humility. “The AIADMK has won by money and muscle power besides misusing official machinery. However, the DMK would strive hard to secure the confidence of the electorate and move ahead,” he said in a statement.
BJP leader H Raja termed the results as a Diwali gift for Hindus. “DMK and its alliance have campaigned on an anti-Hindu plank. The by-poll results are a blow to the DMK and Congress,” he claimed.
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee chief KS Alagiri alleged that it was not a “fair victory” as AIADMK had used every trick in the book to win the elections. “Misuse of government machinery and money power played a crucial role in the AIADMK’s success,” said.
The AIADMK’s strength in the assembly has increased to 125 (including the speaker), while that of the DMK has come down to 100. With the loss of Nanguneri, the Congress’s count has also come down to seven. Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has one and AMMK chief TTV Dhinakaran is the other MLA in the house.
According to analysts, the by-poll victory had catapulted EPS as the undisputed leader in the AIADMK. “Edappadi Palaniswami, who maintained a low profile thus far has gradually developed himself as a leader within the party despite the diarchy in which he shares power with OPS,” said S Ramesh, an advocate and analyst.
However, political commentator Aazhi Senthilnathan said that the alliance with PMK and MDMK had helped the AIADMK in the bypoll.
“Though the AIADMK was whitewashed in the in the LS polls, the alliance which EPS formed with PMK and actor Vijayakanth’s DMDK has stood in good stead in Vikravandi and Nanguneri. PMK played a significant role in transferring the votes of Vanniyars, a dominant community in Vikravandi, to the AIADMK. It is the time for DMK to reconsider its alliance strength,” he added.
In neighbouring Puducherry, the Congress won in the bypoll for the Kamaraj Nagar seat in the union territorry. Congress candidate John Kumar defeated Bouvanesvarane of the NR Congress by a margin of 7170 votes. The seat had fallen vacant following the election of former speaker V Vaithilingam to the Lok Sabha in April.
With this, the strength of the Congress in the assembly has gone up to 15 in the 30-member house. The NR Congress has eight MLAs, AIADMK four MLAs and the DMK two MLAs besides an independent from Mahe.
Puducherry CM Narayanasamy said the victory reflected the public’s hope on the Congress.
“Puducherry LG Kiran Bedi’s anti-people activities have turned out to be the key reason for the Congress’s victory. People have understood that Bedi remains a stumbling block to the development of Puducherry,” he said.
Despite several attempts, Bedi could not be reached for comments.
