TN Assembly elections result: Tenkasi and Kanniyakumari odd duo out in south

MADURAI: The Vijay wave swept all southern districts, except Tenkasi and Kanniyakumari, where alone the TVK drew a blank.

Madurai district dealt a shock to Dravidian majors as several former and sitting ministers lost to Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) candidates, marking a shift in the region’s political landscape.

While the big losers of AIADMK included ex-ministers RB Udhayakumar, Sellur Raju, and former AIADMK MP Rajan Chellappa, who lost in Tirumangalam, Madurai West, and Tirupparankundram respectively, those from DMK included Sitting ministers P Moorthy and PTR Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, who were defeated from Madurai East and Madurai Central constituencies.

Tenkasi

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), despite recording major gains in the Assembly elections, failed to secure a single seat in Tenkasi district, where it contested in five constituencies. Political observers attributed the outcome to entrenched party strongholds, strong rival candidates, and limited on-ground campaign presence.

Observers pointed to multiple constituency-level factors that shaped the outcome.

Observers attributed Vijay’s failure to visit the district and certain ground-related factors to the TVK’s rout in the region.

Kanniyakumari

Toeing Tenkasi line, Kanniyakumari also failed to honour Vijay and his team, as not a single TVK candidate won from any of the six seats in the district.

Kanniyakumari has traditionally backed only national parties, and this time too, continued the trend.

The absence of a victory in the district left TVK candidates and party workers disappointed.

Thoothukudi

While the newbie TVK made a strong debut in Thoothukudi district walking away with 3 out of 6 seats, the DMK made new gains by securing the remaining segments. AIADMK drew a blank in this region.

Voters and observers attributed the outcome to anti-incumbency sentiments and the demand for change aligning with the statewide sentiment.

Tirunelveli

Tirunelveli too followed the statewide pattern in supporting Vijay and his candidates, signalling its desire for a change.

TVK won three of the five constituencies in the district. Party members said the results reflected the public's response to Vijay’s campaign and acceptance of his leadership.

Some elderly voters said they cast their votes based on suggestions from younger family members.