Stalin’s leadership drives INDIA sweep in Tamil Nadu, BJP fails to open account

The DMK is maintaining its streak of electoral victories since 2019 and looks poised for a near-sweep in the Tamil Nadu Lok Sabha polls. With the ruling coalition leading in 38 out of 39 seats, Chief Minister and DMK president M K Stalin’s leadership and his deft handling of alliances, solidifying the state’s largest coalition and keeping it intact since 2019 is being credited with the success.

The DMK-led alliance comprises the Congress, Left parties, Dalit groups, and minority parties.

The only one from the NDA side with a lead is Sowmiya Anbumani of the PMK, an NDA ally, with the BJP’s high-profile state chief, K Annamalai, also staring at a defeat.

With only half the votes counted, the situation remains fluid. Credit for Anbumani’s edge is being given to the PMK’s focused campaign on the OBC-Vanniyar community, rather than the BJP’s efforts. In Virudhunagar, the DMDK candidate’s lead has narrowed to 390 from 9,000 votes before Congress’s Manickam Tagore taking a slight edge by noon.

AIADMK stronghold Namakkal remains a tough battle with DMK holding a slim 1,500 vote lead.

The AIADMK is giving a strong fight in several seats but faces significant challenges. While its vote bank seem to be intact, the AIADMK has been pushed to the third position by the BJP – with about half of the votes counted – in constituencies like Chennai South, Chennai Central, Vellore, Dharmapuri, Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Theni, Ramanathapuram, Tirunelveli, and Kanyakumari. In crucial pockets of Tirunelveli and Tenkasi, AIADMK has fallen behind Naam Tamilar Katchi led by Tamil nationalist Seeman.

A senior AIADMK leader close to EPS said, “If we had retained the alliance with BJP, we could have won a few seats and secured a Cabinet position at the centre.