AIADMK set to retain power, DMK emerges robust Opposition

AIADMK today clearly headed to retain power in Tamil Nadu by winning 21 seats and leading in 110 other constituencies as arch rival DMK gave a strong fight bagging 19 and leading in 71 segments.

Of the 232 seats that went for voting on May 16, results were declared for 41 seats as the counting of votes were taken up today. Congress won one seat and is leading in seven.

Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, set to create history by becoming the first ever leader to retain power in the state since 1989, is leading by over 15,000 votes in Dr RK Nagar constituency in the city.

Her arch-rival and DMK President M Karunanidhi retained his Tiruvarur constituency by a huge margin of more than 65,000 votes. His son and DMK Treasurer M K Stalin is leading by more than 15,000 votes in Kolathur here.

Addressing jubilant party workers, Jayalalithaa called the victory a historic one and vowed to strive for the people with renewed vigour. The verdict had put a permanent end to "family politics" of DMK, she said adding she was indebted to people forever.

Overwhelmed by the verdict, jubilant AIADMK workers burst crackers and distributed sweets across the state. A large number of party cadres thronged Jayalalithaa's Poes Garden residence area and the party headquarters.

Although DMK could not wrest power, it is clearly on the way to becoming a robust Opposition party winning a handsome number of seats. Its allies IUML and Puthiya Tamilagam are leading in one constituency each.

DMK headquarters 'Anna Arivalayam' wore a deserted look with party leaders maintaining that the result declaration was yet to be made in respect of most seats.

The outcome of the elections showed the third front of DMDK-PWF-TMC, Pataali Makkal Katchi and BJP were nowhere in the reckoning as the people rejected their bid to project themselves as an alternative to the Dravidian majors DMK and AIADMK.

PMK, which went to voters with the slogan of "vote for change and development," is leading in one constituency, Pappireddipatti in Dharmapuri District by a comfortable margin of over five thousand votes.

But its Chief Ministerial candidate Anbumani Ramadoss, who is also the Dharmpauri Lok Sabha MP, is in the third place in Pennagaram and DMK candidate PNP Inbasekaran is leading by a margin of 10,000 votes over his nearest AIADMK rival K P Munusamy.

Similarly, DMDK chief and Chief Ministerial candidate of the DMDK-People's Welfare Front-TMC combine Vijayakanth has been relegated to the third place in Ulundurpet segment.

On the flip side for the AIADMK, several of its sitting ministers are trailing. In Anna Nagar, Handlooms Minister S GokulaIndira is trailing by over 1,500 votes.

Social Welfare Minister B Valarmathi is in the second position in Thousand Lights trailing her DMK rival Ku Ka Selvam by over 5,000 votes.

DMK heavyweight Durai Murugan retained Katpadi, defeating S R K Appu of AIADMK by a margin of 23,946 votes.