TN bypolls: AIADMK wrests Vikravandi constituency from DMK

Chennai: The AIADMK candidate R Muthamilselvan was declared elected from Vikravandi Assembly constituency in Villupuram district on Thursday by a margin of 44,924 votes.

The ruling party, which took a decent lead of about 1,900 votes against arch rival DMK just after the start of the counting exercise, improved its margin steadily round after round and eventually won by 44,000 plus votes.

While DMK’s N Pugazhenthi polled 68,842 votes including 14 postal votes securing 36.48 per cent, Muthamilselvan registered an impressive 1,13,745 votes (21 postal votes) with a 60.29 per cent vote share.

With the AIADMK all set to win the Nanguneri seat as well, by a margin of over 29,000 votes, the victory is a clear morale booster for the ruling party.

The by-polls were held on October 21 peacefully without any untoward incidents and Vikravandi topped with 84.36 per cent voting while recorded 66.10 per cent.

The DMK and its allies had won 38 of 39 Lok Sabha seats and 13 of the 22 Assembly segments in bypolls.

The AIADMK could manage to win only nine Assembly constituencies and a lone Lok Sabha seat-Theni.