Chennai, May 5 (IANS) The DMK has suffered a major electoral setback in the recently concluded Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, winning only around 59 of the 164 constituencies it contested directly and slipping into the Opposition.

The polls witnessed a fierce three-cornered contest involving the DMK, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, and the AIADMK, with the ruling party failing to retain its dominance amid a strong surge by TVK.

The outcome was particularly striking as Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, several senior ministers, and even the Assembly Speaker were defeated, reflecting a strong wave of anti-incumbency across the state.

Among the prominent losers, Health Minister M. Subramanian was defeated in Saidapet by nearly 28,500 votes, while School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi lost in Tiruverumbur.

Minister T.R.B. Rajaa was defeated in Mannargudi, and Minister Moorthy lost Madurai East by over 16,500 votes.

Finance Minister P.T.R. Palanivel Thiagarajan faced an unexpected defeat in Madurai Central, where a TVK candidate emerged victorious in a multi-cornered contest.

Senior ministers also faced setbacks across regions, with K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran losing in Aruppukkottai and Thangam Thennarasu suffering defeat in his constituency.

Veteran leader Durai Murugan lost Katpadi by more than 7,600 votes, while Minister Muthusamy was defeated in Erode West by over 22,000 votes.

Ministers Nassar (Avadi), Mathivendhan (Rasipuram), R. Rajendran (Salem North), Gandhi (Ranipet), and Saminathan (Kangeyam) were also among those who lost.

In Alandur, T.M. Anbarasan was defeated by a margin exceeding 25,000 votes.

One of the closest contests was witnessed in Tiruppattur, where Minister Periyakaruppan lost by just a single vote, highlighting the intensely competitive nature of the election.

Despite the widespread losses, a section of the DMK leadership managed to hold on to their seats.

Udhayanidhi Stalin won from Chepauk with a margin of over 7,300 votes, while Minister Sekarbabu secured victory in Harbour.

K.N. Nehru retained Tiruchirappalli West, and I. Periyasamy registered a strong win in Athoor.

Chakrapani won from Oddanchatram with a comfortable margin, while E.V. Velu narrowly held Tiruvannamalai.

Ministers M.R.K. Panneerselvam, Meyyanathan, C.V. Ganesan, and K. Chezhiyan were also among those who secured victories, along with Anita Radhakrishnan in Tiruchendur and Raghupathi, Sivashankar, and Rajakannappan in their respective constituencies.

The results mark a decisive shift in Tamil Nadu’s political landscape, with the emergence of TVK significantly altering traditional voting patterns and eroding the dominance of both the DMK and AIADMK.

While the DMK managed to secure wins for only a limited number of its ministers, the scale of high-profile defeats underscores the challenges ahead for the party as it prepares to assume the role of the Opposition after its term in power.

--IANS

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