DMK Candidate Leads in Vikravandi Bypoll, Passing Litmus Test for Ruling Party
The ruling DMK party in Tamil Nadu appears to have successfully passed a crucial test in the Vikravandi assembly by-election. Their candidate, Anniyur Siva, is currently leading with a significant margin over his rival, PMK's C Anbumani.
The by-election was necessitated by the death of the previous MLA, N Pugazhenthi. With 29 candidates in the fray, the main contest was between DMK's Siva and PMK's Anbumani. The AIADMK boycotted the election, citing concerns about fairness under the DMK government.
DMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin was seen celebrating with party workers in Chennai after reports of the party's lead emerged. This by-election was seen as a litmus test for the DMK, which has faced criticism over law-and-order issues in recent months.
Vikravandi assembly constituency is located in the Viluppuram district and is part of the Viluppuram (SC) Parliament Seat. According to the 2011 Census, the constituency has a majority of rural voters (95.76%) and a significant number of SC voters (63,829).
In the 2021 assembly elections, Vikravandi had a total electorate of 234,841 voters, with a voter turnout of 82.48% in the recent by-election. In the 2021 election, DMK's Pugazhenthi N won the seat by a margin of 9,573 votes over ADMK's Muthamilselvan R.
The outcome of the Vikravandi by-election will be closely watched as an indicator of the DMK's popularity and its ability to address concerns about law and order in the state.