North TN lets down; South, Kongu regions propel AIADMK

AIADMK which won a successive term in the assembly elections did well in regions like the south and western Kongu belt of Tamil Nadu though the northern parts, including the capital city, saw the party faring badly.
Voters in Western region comprising Coimbatore, Salem, Namakkal and Erode districts, solidly stood behind the AIADMK as the party virtually made a clean sweep of the seats.
AIADMK, which won all the 10 seats in the Coimbatore district in 2011 elections, won nine seats leaving one seat, Singanallur to DMK this time.
Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal, Deputy Speaker Pollachi V Jayaraman and Minister for Municipal Administration S P Velumani were among the prominent candidates in Coimbatore and Tirupur districts, considered long-time bastion of AIADMK.

Dhanpal won Avanashi seat in Tirupur District by a margin of 30,674 votes, defeating his nearest rival E Anandan of DMK.
However, in Chennai badly hit by the deluge in December last year, over which the opposition parties had attacked the Jayalalithaa government for its handling of the situation, DMK won ten seats leaving just six to AIADMK.

DMK bagged Anna Nagar, Egmore, Harbour, Kolathur, Saidapet, Chepauk-Tiruvallikeni, Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar, Thousand Lights, Velachery and Villivakkam. AIADMK managed to win Dr Radha Krishnan Nagar, Mylapore, Perambur, Royapuram, Thiagraya Nagar and Virugambakkam.
Similarly, in another Northern District Kancheepuram, adjoining Chennai, DMK forged ahead winning seven out of the 11 seats, while AIADMK managed to bag Sriperumbudur and was leading in Tiruporur.

Several parts of Kancheepuram district lie in the periphery of Chennai and such areas too were hit by floods.
DMK has won Chengelpet, Alandur, Cheyyur, Kanchipuram, Madurantakam, Pallavaram, and Uthiramerur, it is leading in Sozhinganallur and Tambaram.
In the Cauvery Delta region where AIADMK expected a bigger win following what it called achievements like the party's efforts over the Cauvery issue, it was a disappointment as DMK walked away with several seats.
DMK bagged seats including Tiruvarur, Mannargudi, Thiruthuraipoondi, Orathanadu, Tiruvidaimarudur, Tiruvaiyaru and Kumbakonam, Kilvelur, Tiruchirappalli (West).
While poll was not held for Thanjavur, AIADMK won Tiruchirappalli (East), Srirangam, Mayiladuthurai, Peravurani, Pattukottai, Pappanasam and Nannilam, Nagapattinam, Poompuhar, Sirkazhi and Vedaranyam.

Another Northern District of Tiruvallur, however, helped AIADMK. The party has won Maduravoyal, Gumiddipoondi, Ponneri, Poonamallee, Tiruttani and is leading in Avadi and Ambattur.
AIADMK won eight out of ten seats in Madurai district, and all the four seats in Theni.
In Ramanathapuram district, the AIADMK and DMK shared two seats each. In Tirunelveli district also the two major parties' front shared five seats each.
However, in Dindigul AIADMK won three seats while the DMK four.
In Tuticorin District too, AIADMK and DMK shared three seats each. In Virudhunagar District four constituencies went to AIADMK, while three went to DMK.