CHENNAI: With just 47 seats, the AIADMK has been pushed to the third place, losing its principal opposition party status. For the party under the leadership of Edappadi K Palaniswami, it is the second consecutive defeat in the Assembly elections. The party could not retain the 66 seats it won in 2021 Assembly election.
In Thanjavur district, of the eight constituencies, AIADMK could not win even a single seat. In the Kongu region, considered the AIADMK’s fortress, the AIADMK faced huge loss, with TVK winning most of the seats. In the north zone as well, the AIADMK failed to make a mark.
Reacting to the results, Palaniswami said he accepts the verdict of the people wholeheartedly. “We shall recover from this setback soon. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the AIADMK will return to the path of victory. I affirm with conviction that the party will forever remain committed to serving the people,” he added.
As per political pundits, it will be an uphill task for Palaniswami to keep the party intact after this defeat, since many are unhappy with his refusal to accommodate senior leaders who have drifted away from the party. Ahead of the Assembly election, the AIADMK looked like a party split into many factions, since most of its senior functionaries have taken shelter in the DMK and TVK.
There is a perception that Palaniswami’s decision to realign with the BJP has led to the AIADMK’s defeat in the Assembly election. The results show that the traditional vote base of the party, which claims to have over 2 crore voters, has eroded significantly.
AIADMK sources said EPS is likely to convene a meeting of the district secretaries and senior leaders soon to discuss the electoral defeat and chart the next course of action.
When asked about the AIADMK’s defeat in the elections, party spokesperson Kovai Sathyan told TNIE, “Best wishes for Vijay. The role of the CM is not like that in the movie. It carries a larger responsibility, impacting the lives of crores of people. We wish Vijay that he will deliver the wishes of the people.”
A senior AIADMK functionary said he was shocked and taken aback by the results. “In the western zone, the AIADMK faced many losses. Out of 47 strong domains in the western zone, the AIADMK lost about 32 to the TVK. This is like a silent tsunami wave; we lost many seats.”
