Lok Sabha 2014: AIADMK upbeat ahead of counting in TN

CHENNAI/PUDUCHERRY: The poll prospects of 845 contestants, including 2G scam accused A Raja and Dayanidhi Maran, Congress' Manishankar Aiyar and Finance Minister P Chidambaram's son Karti, will be known tomorrow when votes polled for 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu are taken up for counting.

Electoral authorities have set up 42 counting centres across the state for counting of votes cast by 73.67 per cent of the 5.50 crore electorate who exercised their franchise on April 24.

Votes polled for Alandur Assembly segment, which went for bypoll along with Lok Sabha elections, will also be taken up simultaneously where 14 candidates are testing their electoral luck.

Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Kumar told PTI here that about 12,000 officials would be involved in the counting duty, a process for which more than 20,000 security personnel will provide a three-layer security cover.

Other prominent leaders whose electoral fortunes would be decided are former Union Minister T R Baalu (DMK-Thanjavur), BJP's Pon Radhakrishnan (Kanyakumari), PMK's Anbumani Ramadoss (Dharmapuri), DMK's T K S Elangovan (Chennai South), S Jagathrakshakan (DMK-Sriperumbudur), and MDMK leader Vaiko (Virudhunagar).

DMK leader and former Union Minister Dayanidhi Maran (Chennai Central) is seeking a third successive term while his party colleague Raja (Nilgiris SC) is hoping to enter Parliament for a second time from the same seat.

Chidambaram, who opted out of contest, is hoping that his son Karti will succeed in holding the fort for him in his bastion Sivaganga in his debut entry.