DMDK Calls For Recount Of Votes In Virudhunagar After Vijay Prabhakaran Loses By Narrow Margin

Virudhunagar DMDK candidate Vijay Prabhakaran lost by a margin of 4,379 votes with Congress MP Tagore receiving 385,256 votes compared to Prabhakaran's 380,877 votes.

AIADMK ally DMDK's General Secretary, Premalatha Vijayakanth, has demanded a recount in Tamil Nadu's Virudhunagar Lok Sabha constituency, where her son and party candidate, Vijaya Prabhakaran, narrowly lost to Congress rival and sitting MP, Manickam Tagore. Prabhakaran lost by a margin of 4,379 votes, with Tagore receiving 385,256 votes compared to Prabhakaran's 380,877 votes.

Vijay Prabhakaran is the elder son of late DMDK chief Vijayakanth. 

In a press conference on Thursday, Premalatha Vijayakanth alleged deliberate manipulation to ensure her son's defeat, stating she had evidence to support her claims. "Vijaya Prabhakaran was defeated by a very close vote margin. Why did the District Collector stop the vote counting from 3 pm to 5 pm?" she questioned, as per a report on IANS.

Premalatha highlighted irregularities following the 13th round of vote counting, pointing out contradictions between official announcements and reports from the constituency. "Why were the postal ballot votes in Virudhunagar counted at midnight?" she asked, suggesting errors in the counting process.

She also questioned Chief Minister M.K. Stalin's premature announcement of victory in all 40 constituencies (39 in Tamil Nadu and one in Puducherry) before Virudhunagar's results were finalized.

Emphasizing the right of political parties to request a recount within 45 days of the results being declared, Premalatha Vijayakanth expressed hope that the Election Commission would make an appropriate decision. "We expect the recount to be conducted under the supervision of a retired judge to ensure fairness and transparency," she added.

In Virudhunagar, BJP candidate Radikaa was positioned in third place with 1,66,271 votes. 

The Naam Tamilar Katchi candidate Kaushik received 77,031 votes and was positioned in fourth place in the constituency. 

Meanwhile, I.N.D.I.A bloc swept the polls across the state by securing all the seats including the lone Puducherry seat. However, the lowest winning margin of candidates was reported in Virudhunagar constituency.