How close contests impacted victory margins in past Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu

While Tamil Nadu is heading for a four-cornered contest successful the upcoming Assembly elections, it would beryllium absorbing to spot however the authorities has witnessed aggravated contests successful the past. An investigation of the results of Assembly elections successful the State since 1967, shows determination person been occasions wherever candidates mislaid by less than 25 votes.

1967

The 1967 Madras Legislative Assembly predetermination was historical successful galore aspects. The DMK captured powerfulness for the archetypal time, defeating the Congress, and C.N. Annadurai became the Chief Minister. The State was aboriginal renamed Tamil Nadu.

Significantly, little than 1,000 votes decided the result successful 17 Assembly segments successful this election. In the Vanur Assembly segment, a constituency reserved for Scheduled Castes, Balakrishnan of the DMK defeated Velayudham of the Congress by a borderline of 70 votes.

1971 

The 1971 Tamil Nadu Assembly predetermination was fought against the backdrop of the 1969 divided successful the Congress, which led to the enactment of Congress (O) by erstwhile Chief Minister K. Kamaraj. Both Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of Congress (R) astatine the Centre and Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi successful the State called for an aboriginal election.

By then, Karunanidhi had completed 2 years successful powerfulness pursuing the decease of Annadurai successful 1969. The predetermination resulted successful the DMK retaining power. However, successful 11 Assembly segments the borderline was little than 1,000 votes. In Sankarapuram successful Villupuram district, DMK campaigner N. Natchiyappan won by a borderline of 72 votes against his nearest rival Duraimuthusamy of INC (O).

1977

The 1977 predetermination was besides historic. The ruling DMK had split, and seasoned histrion M.G. Ramachandran (MGR) floated the AIADMK successful 1972. This was besides the archetypal predetermination aft the Emergency was lifted. Tt was a four-cornered contention betwixt the DMK, AIADMK, Congress, and the Janata Party. The AIADMK won the election, and MGR became the Chief Minister.

A notable diagnostic of this predetermination was that 24 candidates were elected with margins of little than 1,000 votes. In Taramangalam successful Salem district, S. Semmalai, who aboriginal became a cardinal AIADMK person and Health Minister, mislaid to R. Narayanan of the Congress by a borderline of 19 votes. Similarly, successful Thirumayam, present successful Pudukkottai district, N. Sundararaj of the Congress defeated P. Ponnambalam of the AIADMK by 57 votes.

1980

In the 1980 Lok Sabha election, held aft the autumn of the Janata Party authorities led by Charan Singh, the DMK had aligned with the Congress, portion the AIADMK had allied with the Janata Party. The Congress returned to powerfulness astatine the Centre, and Indira Gandhi became Prime Minister.

Following this, the Centre dismissed the M.G. Ramachandran authorities successful the State, though it had 2 years remaining successful its term. Assembly elections were held the aforesaid year, and the AIADMK retained power.

In this predetermination too, the triumph borderline successful 24 seats was little than 1,000. In the Ilayankudi Assembly segment, CPI campaigner S. Sivasamy, past an AIADMK ally, narrowly defeated V. Malaikkannan of the DMK by 56 votes. In Sathyamangalam, R. Rangasamy of the AIADMK defeated C.R. Rasappa of the Congress by 60 votes. In Thiruvonam successful Thanjavur district, Durai Govindarajan of the AIADMK mislaid to N. Sivagnanam of the Congress by 62 votes.

1984

The twelvemonth 1984 was politically turbulent for some India and Tamil Nadu. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated, and her lad Rajiv Gandhi, who succeeded her, dissolved the Lok Sabha to question a caller mandate. In Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran, who was undergoing attraction successful Chennai and aboriginal successful the United States, decided to look the electorate a twelvemonth earlier his word ended. A beardown sympathy question helped the AIADMK-Congress confederation unafraid victory.

However, nary campaigner was elected with a borderline of little than 100 votes. The mandate was decisive, with lone 3 candidates winning with margins beneath 1,000 votes.

1989

The 1989 Assembly predetermination was held aft the decease of M.G. Ramachandran successful 1987, which led to a divided successful the AIADMK betwixt the factions led by his woman Janaki Ramachandran and J. Jayalalithaa. In a four-cornered contention among the DMK, Congress, and the 2 AIADMK factions, the DMK returned to powerfulness aft 13 years.

As galore arsenic 14 seats recorded margins betwixt 200 and 1,000 votes.

1991

The 1991 Assembly predetermination took spot nether highly volatile circumstances. The DMK authorities had earlier been dismissed by the Centre, and the run was overshadowed by the assassination of erstwhile Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi successful Sriperumbudur. A monolithic sympathy question favoured the AIADMK-Congress alliance, which secured a landslide victory. Jayalalithaa became Chief Minister for the archetypal time.

Given the sweeping mandate, lone 1 Assembly conception recorded a borderline of little than 1,000 votes. DMK president M. Karunanidhi won the Harbour constituency by 890 votes against K. Suppu of the Congress. The lone different DMK victor was Parithi Ilamvazhuthi from Egmore, wherever polls were countermanded and held later.

1996

The 1996 predetermination was shaped by a beardown anti-incumbency question against the AIADMK authorities amid wide corruption allegations. The Congress precocious command’s determination to state with the AIADMK triggered a divided successful the State unit, starring to the enactment of the Tamil Maanila Congress nether G.K. Moopanar.

The DMK formed a wide confederation with the TMC and Left parties and swept the polls. Karunanidhi became Chief Minister, portion Jayalalithaa mislaid successful Bargur. Reflecting the decisive mandate, six seats were won with margins of little than 1,000 votes, but nary little than 200.

2001 

The 2001 predetermination witnessed large governmental realignments. The AIADMK stitched unneurotic a wide confederation including the Congress, TMC, PMK, and Left parties, portion the DMK aligned with the BJP, past successful powerfulness astatine the Centre. The AIADMK-led confederation secured a comfy majority. Though Jayalalithaa was initially barred from contesting, she was sworn successful arsenic Chief Minister, aboriginal stepping speech for O. Panneerselvam earlier returning aft her acquittal.

In Nellikuppam, E. Pugazhendi of the DMK defeated P.R.S. Venkatesan of the TMC by conscionable 34 votes. In Egmore, Parithi Ilamvazhuthi of the DMK defeated B. John Pandian, contesting connected an AIADMK ticket, by 86 votes. A full 9 seats were won by little than 1,000 votes margin.

2006

The 2006 predetermination was intimately fought. The DMK allied with the Congress, PMK, and Left parties, portion the AIADMK aligned chiefly with the MDMK. The DMK emerged arsenic the azygous largest enactment but fell abbreviated of a majority. With extracurricular support, Karunanidhi formed the government.

As galore arsenic 17 candidates were elected with margins beneath 1,000 votes. In Singanallur, R. Chinnasamy of the AIADMK defeated A. Soundararajan of the CPI (M) by conscionable 14 votes. In Madurai East, N. Nanmaran of CPI (M) defeated M. Boominathan of the MDMK by 51 votes. Interestingly successful Anicut, Pongalur, and Thottiam constituencies, the AIADMK, DMK and Congress nominees respectively won by 53 votes.

2011

The 2011 predetermination was influenced by corruption allegations astatine the Centre successful which the DMK was portion of and wide powerfulness shortages successful the State, fuelling anti-incumbency against the DMK. The AIADMK formed a wide confederation that included the DMDK led by histrion Vijayakant and the Left parties. The confederation secured a sweeping victory, with Jayalalithaa returning arsenic Chief Minister and Vijayakant becoming Leader of the Opposition.

Eight Assembly seats recorded triumph margins of little than 1,000 votes.

2016

The 2016 predetermination broke a three-decade trend, arsenic a ruling enactment retained powerfulness for the archetypal clip since 1980. The contention was multi-cornered, involving the AIADMK, the DMK-Congress alliance, the People’s Welfare Front comprising VCK, Left Parties, DMDK and TMC (M), portion the PMK contested alone. Jayalalithaa chose to tract AIADMK candidates successful each 234 constituencies and secured a consecutive term.

Sixteen candidates were elected with margins beneath 1,000 votes. In Radhapuram, DMK’s M. Appavu, who aboriginal became the Speaker of the Assembly by winning this spot successful the adjacent election, mislaid to AIADMK’s I.S. Inbadurai by 49 votes. In Kattumannarkoil, VCK person Thol. Thirumavalavan, contesting arsenic portion of the People’s Welfare Front, mislaid by 87 votes.

2021

The 2021 predetermination marked a caller signifier successful Tamil Nadu politics, arsenic it was the archetypal Assembly predetermination aft the deaths of Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa. The DMK-led alliance, comprising the Congress, Left parties, and VCK, capitalised connected anti-incumbency against the AIADMK government, which was past headed by Edappadi.K. Palaniswami. The AIADMK, allied with the BJP and PMK, was defeated, and M.K. Stalin became Chief Minister for the archetypal time. In this election, 8 candidates were elected with margins of little than 1,000 votes.