Cong wins Madurai West bypoll

The Congress on Friday won the Madurai West Assembly bypoll by a hefty margin of 31,115 votes in an electoral battle which had become a prestige issue for the Democratic Progressive Alliance, particularly the DMK.

The Congress on Friday won the Madurai West Assembly bypoll by a hefty margin of 31,115 votes in an electoral battle which had become a prestige issue for the Democratic Progressive Alliance, particularly the DMK.

Congress candidate KSK Rajendran wrested the seat from AIADMK8217;s Sellur K Raju. With the victory, the Congress tally of seats in the Tamil Nadu Assembly went up to 35. Once again, actor Vijayakant8217;s DMDK proved its growing clout in Dravidian politics with its candidate T Sivamuthukumaran polling an impressive 21,272 votes.

But the bypoll victory was particularly sweet for Chief Minister and DMK president M Karunanidhi who reportedly threatened to go on an indefinite fast when the Election Commission indicated it might postpone the byelection.

Karunanidhi8217;s son M K Azhagiri, the DMK8217;s muscleman in Madurai district, was the chief architect of the DPA campaign for the Congress candidate. Besides endorsing his father8217;s belief in his organising capacity, a victory in the byelection was imperative for the DMK as it would also reflect the voters8217; sentiments after the ugly violence that gripped the temple town on May 9.

The bypoll on June 26, which witnessed a 75 per cent turnout, was necessitated following the death of rebel AIADMK member S V Shanmugham. In the 2006 Assembly election, Shanmugham defeated the Congress candidate by more than 3,000 votes. After the election, Shanmugham defected to the DMK and died of a heart attack shortly after that.

Even as victory became certain for the Congress, Karunanidhi, while thanking the Madurai West electorate, lashed out at the Election Commission for creating road blocks right from the time the poll date was announced. Besides ordering the transfer of 176 police personnel, it also ordered the transfer of the Madurai District Collector, Madurai Central Election Officer who was also the Revenue Divisional Officer of the district, and some senior police officials, he said in a statement.

Meanwhile, AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa described the Congress victory as 8220;an outcome of a conspiracy8221; by the DMK. She said the result was 8220;anticipated.8221;