Ruling AIADMK, AINRC win TN & Puducherry bypolls

Tiruchirapalli/Puducherry, Oct 20: Reasserting their hold, ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu and All India NR Congress in Puducherry today (Oct 20) retained Tiruchirapalli West and Indira Nagar seats respectively in the October 13 Assembly bypolls.

In the keenly watched battle in Tiruchirapalli, AIADMK nominee M Paramjothi trounced former DMK Minister K N Nehru by 14,684 votes. Nehru was in jail on land grabbing charges until the last day of campaigning, when he came out on bail.

In the April 13 Tamil Nadu Assembly polls that saw AIADMK's spectacular comeback to power, Nehru had lost by over 7,000 votes to Mariam Pitchai, whose death necessitated the bypolls.

In Puducherry, A Tamilselvane, a nephew of Chief Minister N Rangasamy, won the Indira Nagar seat by over 8,000 votes, defeating V Aroumougame of Congress.

The outcome was crucial for AINRC, which has a strength of 15 in the 30-member Assembly and is in power with the support of an Independent. Rangasamy had resigned one of the two seats he won in the April 13 Assembly polls, causing the bypoll.

AIADMK candidate A Venkateswaran lost his deposit. AINRC had unseated Congress in the Assembly polls in alliance with AIADMK, but the two parted ways.

DMK Chief M Karunanidhi, reacting to the poll outcome, said his party has polled more votes this time. Referring to the arrest of Nehru, he said, "We have to appreciate the courage of those who had won the seat after making Nehru run the race with his legs tied."

PTI