This would make Jayalalithaa the first Tamil Nadu CM to beat anti-incumbency since 1984.
Advertisement
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitely and Odhisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik were among the leaders who greeted Jayalalithaa.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the AIADMK chief on her poll victory. The Election Commission postponed elections in Thanjavur and Aravakurichi constituencies after complaints of large-scale distribution of money to voters by various political parties and their candidates. He congratulated her on the “historic” victory achieved by her party, said the release. Jayalalitha’s AIADMk has gained almost 130 seats and emerged as the single largest party with a majority to form a government.
Jayalalitha’s party in a lead with more than 5000 votes in R.K. Nagar constituency.
Sources in the BJP told Deccan Chronicle that Mr Modi and other senior leaders are expected to finalise their programmee once they get a formal invitation from AIADMK. Jayalalithaa, knowing this, wooed them with promises in her manifestoes, from discounts on two wheelers for working women to an increase in maternity assistance. Around 2.60 crore people were eligible to vote for the 140-member Assembly. Achuthanandan and Pinarayi Vijayan, said to be LDF’S chief ministerial candidates, contested from Malampuzha and Dharmadam respectively. Due to its vote bank being smaller than its rival’s, the party wins through allies and power sharing.
Advertisement
However, the 134 seats won by the ruling party were fewer than the 150 it had bagged in 2011 and now it will face a strong opposition in the Legislative Assembly with the DMK-Congress alliance bagging 98 seats. As per authorities, Tamil Nadu recorded 63.7 per cent polling by 3pm while Kerala and Puducherry recorded 51.89 per cent and 53.55 per cent polling respectively. Bagging 10 seats this time marks a comeback for DMK which has done better overall across the state, compared to 2011 when it garnered only 23 seats in the assembly. She termed this victory as the victory for democracy and promised that she will work day-and-night for the welfare of the people of Tamil Nadu.
