Arithmetic over chemistry

The Congress, for the first time after its 2001 victory in alliance with the AIADMK, will have a sizeable presence in the Assembly, winning 35 of the 48 seats it contested. While the CPI(M) won nine of the 13 seats from where it fought and the CPI six of 10, the PMK’s performance was disappointing.

The party won just 18 of the 31 seats it contested, most of them in the state’s northern belt which has a strong Vanniyar presence,the party’s prime base. But it lost many high profile seats, including Tindivanam, where PMK founder Dr S Ramadoss has his Thailapuram farmhouse where he lives and practices medicine.

It may be a victory for the DPA, but the performance of the AIADMK-led front, which won 68 seats has been far from disastrous. Jayalalithaa’s chemistry might not have worked under the sheer might of the DPA’s onslaught, but this is the first time that so many legislators would be occupying the opposition benches in the Assembly.

Also, in many constituencies, the candidates of the AIADMK alliance lost by wafer-thin margins. In Madurai East, for instance, the CPI(M) beat the AIADMK by just 52 votes and DMK general secretary K Anbazhagan scraped through in Harbour, beating his nearest MDMK rival by a mere 409 votes.

The surprise element was the debutant—actor Vijayakant. In his new avtar as chief of Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), the actor fielded 232 candidates in Tamil Nadu, wresting the Virudhachalam seat, where he contested, from the PMK by 13,000 votes.

In as many as 25 constituencies in the north, DMDK candidates grabbed sizeable Vanniyar votes, spoiling the PMK’s prospects. In Panrutti constituency, the DMDK’s second-in-command, Panrutti Ramachandran, put up a tough fight, losing by mere 64 votes.

While the Election Commission is yet to put out the final figures, the DMDK could well turn out to be a bigger party than the MDMK and perhaps even the PMK if one were to go by the number of votes polled by it.

MDMK’s Vaiko must be the most disappointed man. While his party finally managed to gain entry into the Assembly after nearly 13 years of existence, winning six of the 35 seats it fought, the results will still lead to soul searching within the MDMK, particularly with regard to Vaiko’s decision to quit the DMK-led alliance.

Vaiko’s dithering and last-minute defection to the AIADMK-led front has taken a toll on his party’s electoral prospects. His rather focused and vociferous anti-DMK campaign, targeting Karunanidhi for his ‘‘dynastic politics’’ and Dayanidhi Maran for ‘‘furthering the prospects of his family business (read Sun TV Group) using his clout at the Centre’’ also failed to impress the voters in the mostly southern constituencies where his candidates contested. Vijaykant’s candidates too contributed to the MDMK’s woes, splitting the AIADMK votes.

DPA set to form govt

Chennai: The DMK-led Democratic Progressive Alliance won 163 seats defeating the AIADMK-led Democratic People’s Alliance which managed to win just 68 seats. While the DMK won 96 seats of the 130 seats it contested, the Congress won 35 (contested 48), the PMK 18 (contested 31), the CPI six (contested 10), CPI (M) nine (contested 13). In the rival front, the AIADMK won 60 (contested 182), the MDMK six (contested 35) and DPI two (contested 9). While one Independent candidate won, one seat (Anaicut constituency) is yet to be declared. The DMK-led DPA is all set to form a government. Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary, J Jayalalithaa, sent in her resignation to the Governor this evening.

Actor Vijaykant’s fledgling Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam, which fielded 232 candidates, won one seat. Vijaykant won from the Virudhachalam seat in north Tamil Nadu defeating his nearest PMK rival by about 13,000 votes.

Out of office, Jaya has no regrets

Acknowledging her party’s defeat in the Assembly election, AIADMK supremo, J Jayalalithaa, today she had no regrets in demitting the office of Chief Minister. The AIADMK won 60 seats while the three-party front led by her managed to win just 68 seats in the 234-member House in Tamil Nadu. Releasing her statement soon after sending her resignation to the Governor through her Minister, D Jayakumar, Jayalalithaa said: ‘‘I have no regrets as I demit office. I have done my best for the people of Tamil Nadu and worked hard to the limits of my capacity as Chief Minister for the progress and growth of the state.’’

She ‘‘accepted’’ the verdict of the people and ‘‘thanked’’ all those who voted for the AIADMK and its allies. ‘‘The AIADMK will continue to work for the people,’’ she said.

The alliance boat could sail only thus far against the storm of money power that blew across Tamil Nadu during the Assembly elections
DMK chief M Karunanidhi on the DPA’s victory