DMK crushes rivals in Vikravandi; bags 63.22% of votes polled

CHENNAI: The ruling DMK on Saturday retained the Vikravandi Assembly constituency with a thumping margin of 67,757 votes despite an aggressive campaign by the opposition parties in the run-up to the bypoll.

DMK-led INDIA bloc candidate Anniyur Siva alias A Sivashanmugam defeated BJP-led NDA candidate C Anbumani, a PMK nominee, by over 67,757 votes.

All through the counting, DMK candidate Anniyur Siva was in the lead position and the margin between him and his nearest rival, PMK's C Anbumani, widened with every round.

According to the Election Commission of India, DMK candidate Anniyur Siva secured 1,24,053 votes (63.22%) and PMK candidate C Anbumani mustered 56,296 votes (28.69%).

Seeman-led Naam Tamilar Katchi's K Abinaya managed only 10,602 votes (5.4%) while NOTA (none of the above) garnered 859 votes in the July 10 bypoll that saw 82.48 per cent of the electorate exercising their franchise.

Of 762 postal votes, DMK received 493 votes, PMK 222 votes and NTK 41 votes. Of the 29 candidates, 27 including NTK's Abinaya Ponnivalavan forfeited their deposits.

The DMK functionaries and cadres celebrated the victory by bursting firecrackers and distributing sweets across the State.

The by-election was necessitated due to the death of DMK legislator N Pugazhenthi in April this year after a prolonged illness.

The main opposition AIADMK and alliance partner DMDK had boycotted the bypoll.

During the campaign, the BJP-led NDA and NTK attacked the ruling DMK government over its failure to curb the sale of illicit arrack, which claimed the lives of 66 people in Kallakurichi, and law and order situation in the State citing the gruesome murder of BSP leader K Armstrong.

Buoyed by the victory in the Vikravandi bypoll, the DMK president and Chief Minister MK Stalin said the outcome has proved that Tamil Nadu always required the DMK for its development and the welfare of its people. Thanking the voters of Vikravandi, Stalin said, “I see this success as a sign of people’s gratitude for the hard work we put in and the schemes we implemented every day...This is a crowning achievement of our government which has been achieving many good schemes every day and is a record success."