Tamil Nadu has witnessed an Amma wave with the AIADMK winning in 37 of the 39 Lok Sabha seats. The opposition DMK, which was a coalition partner in the UPA 2, drew a blank after winning 18 seats in 2009. The BJP won the Kannyakumari Lok Sabha seat and PMK won the Dharmapuri seat. Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa's party has emerged as the third biggest party in the country. DMK's strongest candidates, Dayanidhi Maran, TR Baalu and A Raja, are among those who have trailed right from the start and lost, indicating a total washout of the party.
Basking in the glory of an expected historic victory, AIADMK general secretary and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa said the verdict was the expression of love and confidence by the people. Jaya met the press at her Poes Garden residence in the afternoon.
“I wish the new government and Prime Minister well, and hope that the new Center will be friendly towards Tamil Nadu,” said Jaya, whose main campaign pitch was the establishment of a “friendly government” in which AIADMK had a role to play.
However, the value of her brilliant performance has been negated by the BJP upsurge, making support from AIADMK irrelevant for forming the government at the Center.
Meanwhile, her rival M. Karunanidhi of the DMK conceded defeat, and congratulated BJP and Narendra Modi for the success in elections. His party, added Karunanidhi, will continue to work for the people without being disheartened by the defeat. The party trailed in all the seats it contested — including in third position in at least a few of them.
There was no sign of any Modi wave in the State, with NDA allies coming at a poor third in most of the seats barring two.
In the midst of an Amma wave in Tamil Nadu, there was an absorbing national contest at the far end of the country. At Kanyakumari constituency, BJP State president Pon Radhakrishnan fought a closely contested battle with H. Vasanthakumar of the Congress. As the counting progresses, the two swapped lead several times.
Dharmapuri in western Tamil Nadu is the only other seat where AIADMK lost. There, PMK's Anbumani Ramadoss won the contest. – Agencies
