Dhinakaran confident of victory in RK Nagar bypolls

Sidelined All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader and independent candidate TTV Dhinakaran on Sunday is confident of winning the RK Nagar Assembly bypolls after the sixth round of counting showed him leading with 29255 votes.

Dhinakaran told ANI, "I am an independent candidate for namesake but all Party (AIADMK) workers are with me. I also have Amma's wishes."

He said the early trends of counting today indicated to whom the people voted in the election.

"RK Nagar was represented by 'Amma'. The thumping majority which the voters have given is an indication where the party symbol and the party will remain. I thank the people of RK Nagar and party workers who have shown massive support for me," Dhinakaran told the media.

"I firmly believe that it is time for this government to go, and in the coming three months you will see this government go," he added.

As per the Election Commission, Dhinakaran is followed by AIADMK's E Madhusudhanan (15181) and DMK's N Marudhu Ganesh (7986).

Dhinakaran, who lost the AIADMK symbol to the EPS-OPS faction, chose to contest the election as an independent candidate and was allotted a 'pressure cooker' symbol for the same.

Key candidates in the fray are Madhusudhanan, Dhinakaran, Ganesh and Karu Nagarajan (BJP).

The RK Nagar constituency went to polls on December 21, necessitated by the death of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa in December last year.

The election is speculated to be a litmus test for the leadership of O Panneerselvam and E K Palaniswami who took over the reins of AIADMK after her.

The election was earlier scheduled on April 12 but was cancelled following vote-for-cash scam.