Even as the DMK was struggling to come to terms with the huge losses in the State, party president and Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi, retained his winning spree as an MLA with his victory from Tiruvarur Assembly constituency on Friday.
He won by a huge margin of 50,249 votes, defeating his nearest AIADMK rival Kodavasal M. Rajendran. Mr. Karunanidhi polled 1,09,014 votes and Mr. Rajendran, 58,765 votes. The total votes polled was 1,72,347.
This is his 12th Assembly election victory ever since he began contesting in 1957. He contested from Kulithalai in 1957 and won. In 1962 he contested from Thanjavur and the following elections from Chennai. This time he preferred Tiruvarur, his native place.
Born at Thirukuvalai in Nagapattinam district, Mr. Karunanidhi studied and spent his youth in Tiruvarur town.
This time, he began his election campaign at Tiruvarur and ended it there itself. His daughter Selvi managed the door-to-door campaigning for him.
Mr. Karunanidhi maintained a steady lead from the first round itself, with a lead of 900 votes.
The lead climbed to 5000, then to 21,210 at the end of seventh round, 40,010 at end of eleventh round and touched 50,249 votes in the end.
On behalf of Mr. Karunanidhi, his agent Shanmugham received the certificate from Returning Officer Sri Raman who is also the Revenue Divisional Officer of Tiruvarur. Poll observer Anil was present on the occasion.
While the DMK won another seat, Mannargudi, in Tiruvarur district, the AIADMK and its alliance partner CPI won two seats, Nannilam and Thiruthuraipoondi.
T.R.B. Raja, son of T.R. Baalu MP, won the Mannargudi seat defeating his nearest AIADMK rival Siva Rajamanickam by a margin of 3,982 votes. T.R.B. Raja polled 81,320 votes and Siva Rajamanickam, 77,338 votes. Total votes polled was 1,66,440.
The CPI retained the Thiruthuraipoondi seat in Tiruvarur district. Its candidate K. Ulaganathan (sitting MLA) won by a margin of 22,827 votes defeating his nearest Congress rival P. Selvadurai.
Ulaganathan polled 83,399 votes, Selvadurai, 61,112 votes. Total votes polled was 1,55,825.
AIADMK candidate R. Kamaraj won Nannilam Assembly constituency in Tiruvarur district. He polled 91,959 votes while his nearest rival DMK candidate Ilangovan polled 81,667 votes. Total votes polled was 1,80,762.
