Chennai: Proving its invincibility in the State’s political arena, the ruling DMK swept the by-election to the Vikravandi Assembly constituency with its candidate Anniyur Siva polling 1,24,053 votes as against rival PMK’s C Anbumani getting 56,296 votes and Naam Tamilar Katchi candidate Abinaya registering 10.602 votes.
Polling was held in the predominantly rural constituency in Villupuram district on July 10, along with 12 constituencies in six other States, to fill in the vacancy caused by the passing away of incumbent candidate N Puzhalenthi of the DMK in April and counting was held on Saturday at the Government Higher Secondary School in Panayapuram.
Though there were 29 candidates in the fray, the DMK took an early lead, prompting the party cadre to break into celebrations, all over the State, particularly at their headquarters, Anna Arivalayam, on Chennai’s Anna Salai. Chief Minister M K Stalin visited the headquarters, where the who’s who of the party landed to congratulate him.
Describing the electoral triumph as a continuation of the INDIA coalition’s success story that began in 2019, Stalin, in his message, noted that the alliance has trumped their rivals in 11 of the 13 Assembly seats that went to polls on Wednesday.
The BJP was refusing to learn that respecting the sentiments of the States was important to run a government and a party despite the repeated drubbing that it has been getting in elections, he said, adding that the Vikravandi result exemplified the success of the schemes launched by the DMK government.
He recalled the political rivals embarking on a derogatory campaign against the DMK and thanked the people of Vikravandi constituency for reposing faith in his government. The DMK would continue its eventful journey of continuous success, he said.
TNCC president, K Selvaperunthagai, congratulated the Chief Minister and the DMK for the victory and said that the voters of Vikravandi have taught a lesson to the PMK that had pledged its social justice principles by aligning with the BJP.
With INDIA coalition candidates winning 11 of the 13 by-elections, the indication was that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had lost the people’s confidence, he said and recalled the DMK-led alliance sweeping all the elections starting with the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
PMK founder S Ramadoss, with due respects to the people’s verdict in Vikravandi, said that his party candidate C Anbumani polling 52,296 votes was a victory to democracy as it indicated that 52,296 voters had resisted the temptation of fall prey to the inducements offered by the DMK to vote for their candidate.
In a statement, Ramadoss alleged that the DMK paid Rs 3000 to voters on election day and had been giving them gifts and other inducements like rice bags, daily allowance of Rs 200 to 300, groceries, dress and gold nose studs since the polls were announced. He said that biriyani was served on a regular basis to voters during the period when liquor flew through the constituency like a river.
Seeman, the chief coordinator of the NTK, said that it was a worthless victory for the DMK as it had to achieve it by blowing up huge amounts of money. He said he did not find much meaning in the celebrations for a win achieved through such means.
That the DMK could manage the victory despite the pointed acerbic campaigns launched by a host of opposition parties, including the BJP, after the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy and the murder of BSP State President Armstrong, is nothing but an indicator to the present government’s popularity among the people.
