AIADMK allies fade into obscurity

Though the BJP was able to form government at the Centre, it could not win a single seat in this election and even lost the single Lok Sabha seat that it won in Kanniyakumari in 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Among the five seats in BJP, Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan contested in Kanniyakumari, H Raja, National secretary, contested in Sivaganga, BJP state unit president Tamilisai Soundararajan contested in Thoothukudi constituency and BJP state vice president Nainar Nagendran contested from Ramanathapuram and former state president CP Radhakrishnan in Coimbatore.

In Kanniyakumari, Radhakrishnan was defeated by Congress candidate H Vasantha Kumar by over 2 lakh margin. Radhakrishnan lost due to anti-incumbency votes from fishing community and minorities.  Similarly, in Thoothukudi, Tamilisai lost to DMK candidate Kanimozhi due to the anti-incumbency votes caused by the Sterlite firing carried out by state police.

As far as Ramanathapuram is concerned, IUML candidate, Nawas Kani, defeated Nainar Nagendran, though there were reports of polarisation.

As far as PMK is concerned, Anbumani Ramadoss, who won from Dharmapurai in 2014 lost in the same constituency to DMK candidate Senthil Kumar. PMK contested in eight seats in 2014 elections and won a single seat, but in 2019 they contested in seven seats and lost all.

Similarly, DMDK scored a duck in the second consecutive LS elections. Even LK Sudhish, party deputy secretary, who contested in Kallakurichi constituency lost to DMK candidate Gautham Sigamani miserably.