First-time contenders Durai Vaiko, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (MDMK) principal secretary, and K.N. Arun Nehru, son of Municipal Administration Minister K.N. Nehru, scripted emphatic victories in their maiden contest in Tiruchi and Perambalur Lok Sabha constituencies respectively.
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Part of the DMK-led alliance, Mr. Durai Vaiko won by a big margin of 3,13,094 votes, defeating his closest AIADMK rival P. Karuppaiah. Mr. Durai Vaiko polled 5,42,213 votes, Mr. Karuppaiah secured 2,29,119 votes.
Mr. Arun Nehru defeated AIADMK’s N.D. Chandramohan by a huge margin of 3,89,107 votes. Mr. Arun Nehru polled 6,03,209 votes, while Mr. Chandramohan polled 2,14,102 votes
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Both Mr. Durai Vaiko, son of MDMK leader Vaiko, and Mr. Arun Nehru established a clear lead right from the first round. They were poised to emerge victorious well before the results were officially declared in the night.
Mr. Durai Vaiko established a lead of a little over 13,000 votes in the first round, while Mr. Arun Nehru led by more than 19,000 votes after the completion of the first round, over their immediate rivals.
The incumbent MP of Perambalur Lok Sabha constituency and founder of Indhiya Jananayaka Katchi, T.R. Paarivendhar, who had won by a huge margin (backed by the DMK) of over four lakh votes in the 2019 general elections, was beaten this time. Mr. Paarivendhar had contested on the BJP ticket in this election.
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As a clear victory was in the offing, Mr. Arun Nehru, in a brief interaction with journalists at Perambalur, attributed it to the hard work and welfare schemes of Chief Minister and DMK leader M.K. Stalin. He said he would take steps to bring rail service to the Perambalur district.
Mr. Vaiko thanked Ministers K.N. Nehru, Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, S. Regupathy, and Siva. V. Meyyanathan, and the cadre of the various parties of the INDIA bloc.
On schedule
Counting of votes began at the scheduled time amid tight police security at both the counting centres. Postal ballots were taken under the supervision of the Returning Officer of both the Lok Sabha constituencies. Votes polled through the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were subsequently counted.