Chennai, May 2 (FN Bureau) The main opposition is all set to return to power in Tamil Nadu after a long wait of ten years. As the counting of votes polled in the April six elections commenced this morning, it turned out to be a one-horse race as the DMK has established leads in a majority of the 234 constituencies. By noon it came clear that the DMK’s 10-year wait to return to power will come to an end, as it crossed the simple majority mark. After nine hours of counting, the DMK was leading in 121 seats and the alliance led by it leading in 143 seats, as the DMK is poised to win the polls with a clear majority. The ruling AIADMK, which has been aiming for a hat-trick of wins after it bucked the trend and won the polls in 2016, is in distant second. It was leading in 81 seats and the front headed by it was ahead in a total of 90 seats. Its allies the PMK and BJP was leading in six and three seats respectively.
Actor-politician Kamal Haasan of the nascent Makkal Needhi Maiyam (MNM) is leading in Coimbatore South, while his party nominees were trailing at third or fourth places in a majority of seats. Single phase polling was held on April six for 234 seats to elect the 16th Tamil Nadu Assembly, besides bypoll to the Kanyakumari Lok Sabha seat. In the bypoll to Kanyakumari Lok Sabha seat–caused by the death of Congress MP H Vasanthakumar due to corona, his son Vijay Vasanth has established a sizeable lead over his BJP rival and former Union Miniter Pon Radhakrishnan. Reacting to the results, DMK President M K Stalin said the counting leads established by the party in a majority of the constituencies confirmed that the DMK is going to form the next government in Tamil Nadu. Of the total 234 seats, the DMK-led alliance was leading in 143 seats–DMK (121), Congress (15), VCK (3), CPI and CPI(M) two each.
The AIADMK-led combine was leading in 90 seats–AIADMK (81), PMK (6) and BJP (3), while MNM is leading in the other seat. As of now the trends indicate the repeat of the 2016 numbers with the DMK and the AIADMK swapping places. In 2016, the AIADMK won 136 seats and the DMK-led alliance 98, with a few seats going the DMK way this time. The DMK is also all set to take the Chennai city by storm as its candidates were leading in all the 16 seats. Mr Stalin led the party’s charge with a big lead in Kolathur, from where he is seeking a third win, his son and DMK Youth Wing leader Udhayanidhi Stalin, who is all set to taste his maiden electoral victory from Chepauk-Tiruvallikeni seat. Top AIADMK leaders including Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (Edappadi), Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam (Bodinayakanur) and senior leaders are leading in their respective seats. In DMK too, the party heavyweights are leading in their respective seats.