DMK alliance routs AIADMK alliance in TN

Chennai: Bucking the national trend that favoured the BJP, the DMK-led alliance on Thursday dealt a major blow to Tamil Nadu's ruling AIADMK-led alliance which comprised the BJP, as it seemed set to capture 36 of the state's 38 Lok Sabha seats that went for polls on April 18.

All the candidates put up by the ruling AIADMK's alliance partners bit the dust.

The DMK was, however, not able to replicate the sweep in the by-elections for the 22 assembly seats as it led in 13 constituencies while AIADMK is in lead in nine seats at the time of writing this report.

While the DMK and AIADMK contested the Lok Sabha polls in alliance with other parties, it was a head-on contest between the two in the assembly by-elections.

In the Lok Sabha polls, prominent candidates of the DMK like A.Raja, Dayanidhi Maran, Kanimozhi, T.R.Baalu, S.S.Palanimanickam and its allies like the Congress like Su.Thirunavukarasar, Karthi P Chidambaram, H.Vasanthakumar, S.Jothimani and others, Communist Party of India-Marxist, Communist Party of India (CPI) and others won their seats or in the process of winning against their rivals belonging to the AIADMK-led alliance across the state, Election Commission officials said.

Amongst the prominent losers were PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss from Dharmapuri, BJP's H.Raja and Tamilisai Soundararajan from Sivaganga and Thoothukudi respectively.

In a statement issued here AIADMK's Coordinator and Deputy Chief Minister O.Panneerselvam and Joint Coordinator K.Palaniswami said the results of the by-elections for the 22 assembly constituencies show that the AIADMK has the credentials to rule the state.

On his part, DMK President M.K.Stalin thanked the voters for electing the party's candidates.

The Lok Sabha polls saw a four-cornered contest. The two major fronts are: the AIADMK-led front comprising the PMK, BJP, DMDK, TMC, PT, PNK and others and the DMK-led front consisting of the Congress, MDMK, IUML, CPI, CPI-M, VCK, KMDK and IJK.

The AMMK floated by independent legislator T.T.V. Dhinakaran and the MNM floated by actor-politician Kamal Haasan made their electoral debut but put up a poor show.

BJP leaders blamed "negative propaganda" by its political foes for its poor showing.