Tamil Nadu early trends: Palaniswami-led AIADMK may retain power in state

The party can consider itself safe if it manages to win 10 seats

Early trends show the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu may retain the power. Chief Minister Edapaddi Palaniswami-led AIADMK is leading in 10 seats, while its rival DMK is leading in 12 seats of the total 22 assembly seats. Palaniswami needs nine seats to retain the power in the State.

This is because the ruling AIADMK has 113 members (excluding the Speaker) in a total of 213 seats so far, and its rival DMK-led alliance has 97 MLAs, including eight from the Congress and one from the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). T T V Dhinakaran is the lone MLA of Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK), the party he floated after being expelled from AIADMK. With the new 22 members being elected, the half-way mark has gone up to 117.

The Edappadi K Planiswami-led AIADMK government can consider itself safe if it manages to win 10 seats. Of the 113 members, the loyalty of at least five were said to be with the Dhinakaran group and the Assembly Speaker has moved a notice against four of them, seeking cause not to disqualify them. 

T T V Dhinakaran and Kamal Haasan parties were not in the picture, while Seeman's Naam Tamilar Katchi leads. These are the early trends.

Stalin has to win at least 21 seats to dislodge the present Government.