Chennai, May 4 (PTI) Actor-politician Vijay appears to be in waiting to create a new history in the electoral politics of Tamil Nadu with no parallels as his party, the TVK is leading in 109 constituencies
out of the total 234 Assembly segments as counting of votes polled in the April 23 elections was on across the state.
A record wave against the ruling DMK was clear when Chief Minister M K Stalin himself trailed behind TVK's little known VS Babu in Kolathur segment here, as per EC updates. Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin was behind TVK's D Selvam in Chepauk-Thiruvalikeni, according to EC data posted on the its website.
According to Election Commission data, 15 ministers including DMK general secretary Duraimurugan, Thangam Thennarasu, TRB Rajaa, Ma Subramanian, PK Sekar Babu, EV Velu, KN Nehru, Getha Jeevan and KKSSR Ramachandran are trailing behind and some by huge margins. Vijay was leading in Tiruchirappalli East and Perambur in Chennai and Aadhav Arjuna, considered No 2 in the TVK is leading in Villivakkam.
If Vijay's party crosses the majority mark of 118 seats it would be a new history with no parallels. No party, just two years after its founding has managed to assume power in TN. When data was last updated, the party was leading in 109 seats. The AIADMK and DMK were ahead in 63 and 40 seats, respectively.
Though AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran became CM in 1977 --after starting his party in 1972-- he had cut his teeth in the DMK for about two decades prior to becoming the chief minister. Hence, TVK's performance if it crosses the majority mark will have no parallels.
Right from the start of the counting process --that commenced with postal ballots-- Vijay's party posted gains and when EVMs were taken up, such gains solidified and at one point of time it appeared that TVK would replace AIADMK as the main opposition party and that the DMK would retain power.
However, as the process of counting of votes picked up pace, TVK appeared to move ahead, round after round, across segments spread over all regions of the state including the Western Kongu areas where the AIADMK-BJP combine has a strong presence. If the trends continue to remain the same that favours TVK, Vijay could ensure the biggest electoral upset, something in lines with the "1967,1977" wins he had referred to in his campaign speeches.
While the Dravidian stalwart CN Annadurai ushered in the first non-Congress government in Tamil Nadu post-independence in 1967, the charismatic MG Ramachandran (MGR) installed the maiden AIADMK government 10 years later, unseating then DMK government under M Karunanidhi.
TVK was leading in most Chennai segments, all considered DMK strongholds and currently represented by the party in the 234-member House. Ever since 1967, one of the two parties --DMK and AIADMK-- have ruled the southern state, often called the "Dravidian heartland". If the TVK manages to secure majority, it will be the first party to lead the state other than the two Dravidian parties.
A poor show by the DMK has proved most exit polls wrong which gave an edge to it, riding on the number of populist measures Chief Minister M K Stalin had implemented in his five year "Dravidian model," of governance.
If the DMK bites the dust, it would be in lines with its electoral history as it has never retained power barring 1971.
BJP was leading in three out of the 27 constituencies and it is ahead in Thalli, Udhagamandalam and Nagercoil. TVK is ahead in constituencies including Ponneri, Tiruvallur, Poonamalle, and Avadi. AIADMK is leading in segments including Katpadi, and Guidyattam and party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami is ahead in Edappadi segment by over 10,000 votes. DMK was leading in segments including Vellore, Anaikattu and Rishivandiyam. PTI VGN SNR JSP JR VGN SA
