Chennai: The ruling DMK emerged victorious in the bypoll to the Vikravandi Assembly constituency by a margin of 67,757 votes and NDA constituent Pattali Makkal Katchi ended up runner-up with 56,296 votes.
All through the vote-counting exercise on Saturday, DMK's Anniyur Siva alias A Sivashanmugam was in the lead position and the margin between him and his nearest rival, PMK nominee C Anbumani widened round after round.
When the counting exercise was completed, the Election Commission declared that Anniyur Siva has secured 1,24,053 votes and Nam Tamilar Katchi nominee K Abinaya secured 10,602 votes and became the distant-third. PMK's C Anbumani got 56,296 votes.
By retaining the Vikravandi seat, the ruling DMK has continued to maintain its winning streak in the state since the 2019 Lok Sabha election. DMK workers burst crackers and distributed sweets to people across the state, with party president and Chief Minister M K Stalin leading the celebrations here. The Dravidian party chief pointed to INDIA bloc's win at the national level and said BJP should learn lessons from its defeats.
"BJP must realise that without respecting regional sentiments it cannot run the government and the party." Stalin said. He regarded the victory as people's 'thanksgiving' to DMK regime's welfare schemes.
While the AIADMK did not contest bypoll 'realising' that it will face a defeat similar to its huge LS election debacle, the 'mystery' behind PMK fighting the bypoll has not been unravelled yet as that party had been firm in not contesting byelections. "The BJP front contested fully knowing that they will be defeated."
Stalin described the win as a big accomplishment, and the poll victory should also be etched in golden letters in the party's history. "We are continuing in our path of achievements and victory; we are with the people and people are with us." The CM thanked the people for the victory and all, including those from his party and allies, who slogged for the win.
PMK founder S Ramadoss said the 'real victory' is for his party and the DMK's victory is 'temporary' as it flexed its money power and 'unleashed cash and gifts.' Still, his party candidate Anbumani secured 56,261 votes and it is a victory for democracy and PMK's services for the people, he added.
Though the ruling party leaders harped on a winning margin of one lakh-plus votes, the DMK could win only by a margin of 67,000- odd votes and it could be a thing of solace for the PMK and Tamil nationalist party Nam Tamilar Katchi, both of which put up a tough fight.
Nonetheless, the bypoll victory is a shot in the arm for the DMK as the byelection was held against the backdrop of the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy that left about 65 persons dead, and the brutal murder of the BSP leader K Armstrong. Such incidents were expected to have a bearing on the electoral showing of the ruling party.
The main opposition AIADMK and its ally in the recent LS poll DMDK boycotted the bypoll held on July 10. Counting of votes was split into 21-rounds and postal ballots were taken up first. The by-election was necessitated due to the death of DMK legislator N Pugazhenthi in April this year.
The DMK-led alliance had won all 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and the lone Puducherry segment in the 2024 Parliamentary elections.
