TN by-election: EPS govt gets boost as AIADMK wins both seats

Chennai, Oct 24: The AIADMK candidates on Thursday won from Vikravandi and Nanguneri assembly constituencies of Tamil Nadu that went to by-polls on October 21.

From Vikravandi, AIADMK's MR Muthamizhselvan defeated DMK's N Pugazhendhi while party's candidate, Reddiyarpatti V Narayanan, won from Nanguneri. In Puducherry, Congress retained the Kamaraj Nagar Assembly seat.

DMK and Congress are allies, their leadership had decided to contest from one constituency each.

By-poll in Vikravandi was necessitated due to the death of DMK legislator K Rathamani in June. Nanguneri seat fell vacant after Congress legislator H Vasantha Kumar got elected to the Lok Sabha.

The win is likely to boost AIADMK's confidence as the DMK and allies swept parliamentary elections earlier this year by winning 37 of the 38 seats. Also, the AIADMK lost both the seats to the DMK and Congress in 2016. This is a setback for DMK chief Stalin who was expecting positive results.

From 1989, the ruling party had always won by-polls in Tamil Nadu. However, DMK broke the record when it won a majority of the 22 assembly seats for which by-polls were held on May 2019.

The by-poll comes close on the heels of the April Lok Sabha elections in which the DMK and its allies swept, winning 37 of the 38 seats. The AIADMK could only win the lone Theni Lok Sabha seat in the April 18 parliamentary polls.