Thanjavur: The DMK wrested its”fort Thanjavur” from the AIADMK when its candidates S.S. Palanimanickam, former union minister and T.K.G.Neelamegam, former councillor won the Thanjavur Lok sabha and Thanjavur assembly seats in the general and bye-elections respectively for which results were announced on Thursday night.
The DMK had lost both the Lok Sabha and Assembly seats to AIADMK in 2014 election.
K. Parasuraman of AIADMK won the Lok Sabha seat defeating DMK candidate T.R. Baalu, while M. Rangasamy (at that time AIADMK) won the Assembly poll then. Previously Palanimanickam held the Lok Sabha seat five times by winning elections and DMK candidate S.N. Ubauathullah was the MLA (DMK) for four times. Hence DMK was considered the fort of DMK.
The AIADMK had breached it when M. Rangasamy won as MLA in 2011 and again in 2016. K.Parasuraman won in 2014 parliament election.
Gaja cyclone, environmental factors like opposition to proposed hydrocarbon project, anti-BJP mood of voters, strong candidate seemed to have favoured Palanimanickam who polled good number of votes in Gaja-affected Pattukottai, Peravurani and Mannargudi assembly constituencies besides the area of the TMC candidate, Pattukottai.
Mr. A. Annadurai, Thanjavur district collector and returning officer for Thanjavur Lok Sabha gave the winner certificate to Palanimanickam and C. Suresh, Revenue Divisional officer of Thanjavur, who is the returning officer for Thanjavur assembly constituency gave the winner certificates to both last night at the counting centre.
Soon after receiving the certificate, Palanimanickam said that he would strive to protect Cauvery delta as an agro zone by taking steps to prevent proposed hydrocarbon and other projects.
Mr. Palanimanickam defeated his nearest TMC rival N R Natarajan by a big margin of 3, 68, 219 votes. The DMK candidate polled 5,88,978 votes against TMC nominee's 2,20,849 votes.
While P Murugesan of AMMK polled 1, 02, 871 votes, Sampath Ramadoss of MNM got 23,477 votes. N. Krishnakumar of Naam Thamizhar Katchi secured 57,924 votes.
THANJAVUR ASSEMBLY BYPOLL RESULT:
T.K.G. Neelamegam (DMK) polled 87,826, to defeat his nearest AIADMK rival R. Gandhi who polled 54,422 votes by a margin of 33,404 votes.
M. Rangasamy (AMMK) got 19,818 votes, M. Karthi (Naam Thamizhar Katchi) 11,014 votes and P. Duraisamy (MNM) 9,246 votes.
