Even as the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) posted a stellar performance in the polls and stormed to power for the second term in the neighbouring Tamil Nadu, its candidates including party unit chief P. Purushothaman and two other sitting MLAs fared badly in the Union Territory.
More than 15 candidates had to forfeit their deposits as they failed to get the required number of votes to get the refund.
The strength of the party in the Assembly was reduced to four from the preceding Assembly where it had five MLAs.
Sitting MLAs
Three sitting MLAs —Mr. Purushothaman in Manavely, Omsakthi Sekar in Nellithope and L. Periyasamy in Nettapakkam constituency lost to their rivals.
The two-time MLA Mr. Purushothaman had been pushed to fourth position in his home constituency Manavely as he was able to get only 3,350 votes. Persons close to him attributed his defeat to the fielding of an independent candidate Embalam Selvam who secured 5,831 and factions. They also lamented over the failure of the party to weave an alliance in the UT.
The AIADMK MLA Omsakthi Sekar in Nellithoppe, lost to Congress candidate A. Johnkumar by a margin of over 12,000 votes. His supporters also alleged that factions among the party leaders in the UT played spoilsport in the constituency.
L. Periasamy, another sitting MLA, lost in Nettapakkam and came third with 4,917 votes.
Lost to protégé
Veteran politician and former Minister P. Kannan lost to his protégé Congress candidate K. Lakshminarayanan by a margin of 2,225 votes in Raj Bhavan, which was considered his forte. Another notable loser was former speaker and independent MLA in the preceding Assembly S.P. Sivakumar who was fielded as AIADMK candidate in Neravy T.R. Patinam where he secured only 8,057 votes, while his rival DMK candidate A. Geetha got 14,993 votes.
Sitting MLAs- A. Anbalagan and his brother A. Baskar retained their seats of Uppalam and Mudaliarpert. In Uppalam constituency, the three-time MLA Mr. Anbalagan managed to win with a margin of 908 votes trouncing his rival DMK candidate Annibal Kennedy.
However his brother Mr. Baskar who sought re-election from Mudaliarpet, won with a margin of 5,387 votes defeating his nearest rival AINRC candidate V. Balan.
Silver lining
A silver lining was that new entrants such as Vaiyapuri Manikandan won with a margin of over 2000 votes in Muthialpet and K.A.U. Asana emerged victorious defeating his DMK MLA A.M.H. Nazeem by a margin of 20 votes in Karaikal south.
In Ariyankuppam constituency, former AIADMK unit secretary M.A. Subramanain stood at second position securing 7,458 while Congress candidate T. Djeamourthy had secured 7,000 more votes than the former. Bahour’s AIADMK candidate T. Velmurugan came in third position with 3,732 votes. K. Govindarasu also came third with 1,193 votes in Embalam.
In Indira Nagar constituency, wherefrom the outgoing Chief Minister N. Rangasamy emerged victorious, the AIADMK put up a pathetic show with its candidate T. Gunasekaran was able to get only 612 votes.
AIADMK candidate M.R. Govindan in Kadirgamam had been pushed to fourth position as he was able to secure only 1,043 votes.
V.C. Elumalai alias Kasilingam, a new comer in the party managed to get 3,694 votes in Kalapet constituency. Putting a strong fight against Congress candidate and former Chief Minister V. Vaithilingam in Kamaraj Nagar constituency, the AIAMDK candidate P. Ganesan stood second with 6,512 votes.
Similarly, former MLA and AIADMK candidate M.V. Omalingam was able to secure 9,841 and came second in Karaikal North.
AIADMK candidate G. Anbanandam was pushed to the fifth position in Lawspet as he was able to get only 797 votes. C.K. Baskaran got mere 97 in Mahe.
Former MLA K. Natarajan secured 7,124 votes in Mangalam and Mahadevi got 5,676 in Mannadipet constituency. G. Panneerselavam bagged 2,957 votes in Neduncadu.
In Orleanpet, party’s urban secretary A. Ravindran was able to secure only 425 votes. In Oussudu, the party candidate M. Selvarassou stood in fifth position with 942 votes. Even after hectic campaigning, the new comer to the party P. Sivasankar got 3,958 votes in Ozhukarai.
S. Cassinadin who secured 1,649 votes, stood in third position in Thattanchavadi. M. Sankar alias Vadivelan got only 1,618 in Tirubuvanai. V. Subramanian in Villianur and G. Murugaiyan in Thirunallar bagged 704 and 220 votes respectively. In Yanam, Manchala Satya Saikumar secured only 343votes.
