DMK cadre breaks into celebrations

Chennai: DMK cadre broke into unbridled celebrations all over the State as their alliance in Tamil Nadu swept the Lok Sabha elections registering a safe lead in all the 40 constituencies, including the one in the Union Territory of Puducherry, leaving the rivals coalitions spearheaded by the AIADMK and the BJP with nothing to take home.

Though the BJP recorded its highest tally of more than 10 per cent vote share in the State and finished second, along with its allies, in more than 10 seats there was no visible celebration in that camp since they could not emerge victorious even in a single seat. State BJP president, K Annamalai, who contested from Coimbatore, was quietly celebrating his 40th birthday with family in his hometown.

A festive air gripped Anna Arivalayam, the DMK headquarters at Anna Salai in Chennai, for the second consecutive day as hundreds of cadre had thronged the premises on Monday to celebrate the conclusion of the birth centenary celebrations of M Karunanidhi, as party supporters started congregating there around 11 am when television channels beamed news on the candidates of their alliance parties taking an early lead.

While counting of votes started at 8 am, with the authorities taking up the postal ballots first for enumeration, by around 10 am it became clear that the DMK-led alliance was on the lead, prompting party supporters and workers to rush to Anna Arivalayam. Getting their updates on their smartphones, the cadre started dancing and playing music, much to the delight of the television camera persons gathered there to cover the event.

Serial firecrackers were rolled out and lit in jubilation on the roads and inside the premises of the DMK offices across the State even as slogans hailing the DMK, its president MK Stalin and other top honchos rent the air.

As the counting of votes progressed and television channels updated the position of the parties, BJP’s alliance partner PMK was ahead of its rivals in Dharmapuri constituency, where Sowmiya Anbumani was the candidate. So was Vijay Prabakaran of the DMDK, which is an ally of the AIADMK. In rest of the 37 constituencies in the State – in Puducherry, Congress candidate Vaithilingam had established an early lead and maintained it throughout.

Both Sowmiya, wife of Anbumani Ramadoss, and Vijay Prabakaran, son of Vijaykanth were contesting the polls for the first time and their lead position cheered by cadre of their respective parties, raising their hopes, till afternoon when the television screens said that in all 40 seats DMK allies have taken the lead position.

Though that lead continued through the rest of the day, most DMK leaders were not happy over the INDIA coalition not performing to the extent of forming the government in New Delhi. With 40 seats in its kitty, the DMK, by extending support to a coalition government would have had a bountiful share of ministerial berths.

Despite the Congress leading in over 100 seats all over the country and their other alliance partners forging ahead of the NDA candidates in various States, including Uttar Pradesh, the final tally was only in favour of the NDA forming the next government and Narendra Modi being sworn in as Prime Minister for the third time.

The Naam Tamizhar Katchi (NTK) of Seeman increased its vote share that was touching around 8 per cent when the counting was still going on with most of its candidates finishing fourth in the race, which was phenomenal feat in view to the limited campaign carried out by the individual contestants and their party when compared to the splash made by the other three rivals.