The by-poll to 22 Assembly seats was more crucial for the survival of the AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu, despite facing a rout in the Lok Sabha polls. Will it survive, it seems so if one goes by the numbers after the outcome of the polls. With the success in the by-elections, the strength of the DMK will rise to 101, while the AIADMK’s tally will be 123, six past the half-way mark. Totally, the House has 234 members. DMK ally Congress has eight members and another ally, the IUML one. TTV Dhinakaran is the lone Independent MLA.
In a statement, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam thanked the voters of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry who voted for the AIADMK-led alliance in the Lok Sabha elections as well as the byelections to 22 assembly constituencies. "The results of the elections show that the AIADMK alone is fit to rule Tamil Nadu. The people have voted for the continuance of this government," they said.
Stating that though the AIADMK could not win the Lok Sabha elections, they said it has been established that the vote bank of the party remains intact. "Moreover, the notion that the party has no future after the death of the late leader, J Jayalalithaa, has been defeated in this election. We thank the voters for reaffirming our majority in the State Assembly," they added.
