DMK Candidate Anniyur Siva Leads in Vikravandi Assembly Bypoll
The ruling DMK party in Tamil Nadu appears to have successfully passed a crucial test in the Vikravandi assembly bypoll. Their candidate, Anniyur Siva, is currently leading with a significant margin over his rival, PMK's C Anbumani. As of 1:00 pm, Siva held a lead of 39,435 votes.
This by-election was held due to the unfortunate passing of the previous MLA, N Pugazhenthi. A total of 29 candidates contested the election, with the main battle being fought between DMK's Siva and PMK's Anbumani. Notably, the AIADMK boycotted the election, citing concerns about fairness under the DMK government.
The bypoll served as a litmus test for the DMK, which has faced criticism over recent events like the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy and the murder of BSP state chief Armstrong. However, the early results suggest that the party has retained the trust of the Vikravandi electorate.
Vikravandi is a general category assembly constituency located in the Viluppuram district. It is one of the six assembly segments within the Viluppuram (SC) Parliament Seat. As per the 2011 Census, the constituency has a significant population of SC voters (63,829) and ST voters (2,946). Additionally, rural voters constitute a majority (95.76%) with 2,13,715 individuals, while urban voters comprise only 4.24% (9,463 individuals).
In the 2021 assembly elections, Vikravandi had a total electorate of 234,841 voters, with a near-equal distribution between male and female voters. The constituency witnessed a voter turnout of 82.48% in the recent bypoll, slightly lower than the 82.53% recorded in the 2021 elections.
In the 2021 Assembly election, the DMK's Pugazhenthi N had secured victory over the ADMK's Muthamilselvan R with a margin of 9,573 votes (4.97% of the total votes polled). The current bypoll results indicate a potential continuation of DMK's dominance in the Vikravandi constituency.