VELLORE: The DMK has put up an impressive performance in Vellore, with its candidate DM Kathir Anand distancing himself from the saffron party’s AC Shanmugam by over 2 lakh votes, despite PM Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah campaigning in the constituency.
Kathir Anand won by securing 5,68,692 votes while Shanmugam got 3,52,990 votes. The AIADMK, which fielded a new face, S Pasupathy, secured 1,17,682 votes. Shanmugam is facing a loss for the third time in Vellore constituency.
In 1984, ACS contested on an AIADMK ticket and won the Lok Sabha election, which was his first win as a Member of Parliament. In 2014, ACS contested on BJP symbol and lost by a margin of around 50,000 votes. In 2019, a re-poll was held following allegations of cash-for-vote. ACS, who contested on a AIADMK ticket, lost by a margin of 8,000 votes.
“The anti-Modi wave was stronger than before, and that is why their campaign did not help,” senior journalist SP Lakshmanan told TNIE.
When contacted, Kathir Anand said, “Tamil Nadu people voted for our leaders MK Stalin and Kalaignar.”