DMK retains Madurai Central

CHENNAI: The ruling DMK retained Madurai Central, trouncing AIADMK by an impressive and improved margin of over 30,000 votes. With chief minister M Karunanidhi having banked heavily on his government’s performance during the campaign, the ruling party can be said to have passed its first test comfortably.

DMK candidate Ghouse Basha polled 50,894 votes against a mere 19, 909 votes polled by AIADMK’s Rajan Chellappa.
The by-poll was caused by the death of DMK minister Palanivel Rajan, who won the seat in the May, 2006, by a margin of around 9,000 votes.

Mr Karunanidhi, who is also the party president, termed the victory as a vote for the performance of his government. The voters have given a fitting reply to the consistent propaganda of AIADMK that the government would not fulfil its poll promises. The higher margin in the by-poll showed the popularity of his government among the masses, Mr Karunanidhi told reporters here on Tuesday.

Even as the ruling party improved its victory margin, the AIADMK saw its vote share cut down drastically. And to add to its discomfort, actor Vijayakant’s DMDK put up a creditable performance.

Though its candidate, Mr M R Paneerselvam came third, he polled 17,394 votes and the difference between him and the AIADMK candidate was a mere 2,515 votes. DMDK has polled 5,000 votes more than what its nominee got from Madurai Central in the May.

“The DMK victory with a higher margin is an approval of its over 125-day rule in the state. On the other, the increased vote share of DMDK indicates Vijayakant gaining ground among the masses, by eating into the traditional AIADMK votes,” political observers told ET.

Madurai district has generally been considered an AIADMK citadel. Even though Madurai Central assembly segment, with a large presence of traders and merchants, cannot be equated with other assembly segments in the district, DMK’s performance is still significant, they added.

Mr Karunanidhi, AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa and actor Vijayakant campaigned for at least two days each in the constituency. “The DMK’s victory will also come as a big booster to Mr Karunanidhi’s son M K Azhagiri, who was in-charge of the party’s poll machinery and was engaged in a duel with AIADMK’s Rajya Sabha MP T T V Dinakaran, who was given the charge of his party’s campaign,” the observers added.