After DMK, ally Congress sets up team to examine bypoll drubbing

This comes a day after the DMK set up a three-member committee to identify the reasons for its failure at the hustings.

The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee team will examine the factors for the defeat of N Maruthu Ganesh, a TNCC release said.

The panel, led by senior party functionary R Damodaran, would also look into the congress party's contribution towards working for the DMK nominee's victory.

The team, which has been tasked to give its report in four days, comprises four office-bearers including C D Meyappan and Americai V Narayanan, TNCC president Su Thirunavukkarasar said in the release.

The bypoll was held on December 21 to fill the vacancy caused by the death of sitting member and then chief minister Jayalalithaa on December 5 last year.

Belying the expectations of DMK and ruling AIADMK too, rebel leader TTV Dinakaran, who contested as an independent, won the bypoll by a margin of 40,707 votes against E Madhushudanan (AIADMK).

DMK's N Maruthu Ganesh came third securing 24,651 votes, in the process, losing deposit.