In an emphatic display of electoral prowess, the DMK-led alliance bettered its performance, winning or establishing leads in all 39 constituencies in Tamil Nadu and the lone constituency in Puducherry on Tuesday. In 2019, the alliance had won in 38 constituencies in the State. This is the first time since 1991 that a Dravidian party-led alliance has registered back-to-back landslide victories in the Lok Sabha elections.
Its performance has disproved the exit polls that gave a couple of seats to the coalitions led by the AIADMK and the BJP. The results also proved to be a victory for the DMK’s “ideological war” against the BJP, since Tamil Nadu is the only State which continues to deny the party a chance to gain a toe-hold.
Commenting on the results, Chief Minister and DMK president M.K. Stalin said that though the BJP launched a psychological onslaught two days ago in the name of exit polls, it was reduced to a position wherein it was not able to win a simple majority to form the government.
The Congress, the major ally of the DMK, won or led in all the 10 constituencies it contested, as did the two Left parties in two seats each. The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, which contested in two seats, won both. The MDMK won in Tiruchi and the IUML retained Ramanathapuram.
While Vijaya Prabhakaran, the DMDK candidate and son of late actor Vijayakant, who was part of the AIADMK-led alliance, was ahead of his Congress rival Manickam Tagore in Virudhunagar in a couple of rounds, he was edged out to the second slot by late evening. PMK candidate Sowmiya Anbumani lost after registering a good lead over the DMK candidate in Dharmapuri.
Going by the trends, it was possible that had the AIADMK, led by former Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami, and a faction, led by O. Panneerselvam, joined hands with the BJP under the NDA banner, the alliance may have altered the outcome. The Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), led by Seeman, has also polled a notable percentage of votes.
