SALEM: With the popularity of Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) increasing among the youth, a huge number of votes went to these two parties in Salem constituency, affecting the vote share of Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) and All India Anna Dravdia Munnetra Kazhagam.
Ahead of the elections, Express carried an article regarding the shift of preference of the youth from the Dravidian majors like DMK and AIADMK to NTK and MNM.
In the recent Lok Sabha elections, the DMK defeated AIADMK in Salem constituency by a margin of 1.46 lakh votes. However, the winning margin was less compared to other constituencies in Kongu region like Namakkal, Erode, and Tirupur districts as more people voted for NTK, MNM or the AMMK.
In Salem, there 25 rounds of vote counting were held. In every round, NTK secured 1,000 to 1,500 votes on an average. However, the voting pattern reveals that NTK’s hold is more strong in villages than the MNM. In the city, it scored less than MNM.
In Edappadi assembly segment, NTK secured nearly 5,000 votes. In the remaining five assembly segments, the party received more than 5,000 votes. MNM received around 2,500 to 2,900 votes on an average in the city pockets, compared to 800 to 1,200 votes on an average in the villages. While it secured over 10,000 votes in three assembly segments in the city limit, in the remaining segments, it secured 3,500 to 5,000 votes.