New Delhi: The DMK-led alliance secured a landslide in the urban local body elections in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday. The MK Stalin-led party won over two-thirds of the 12,800 plus ward member posts and bagged all the 21 municipal corporations in Tamil Nadu, PTI reported.
The state's urban polls were conducted after an 11-year hiatus, and the DMK's victory is seen as a seal of approval for the state's nine-month-old MK Stalin government.
The DMK has won a majority in all the 21 municipal corporations, including the Greater Chennai Corporation, and also came out victorious in most of the 138 municipalities and 490 town panchayats, PTI reported.
The ruling party secured victory in 946 wards in corporations, 2,360 in municipalities and 4,388 in town panchayats. AIADMK came a distant second, winning over 2,000 ward member posts
The BJP, which fought the polls alone, won 22 seats in municipal corporations, 56 in municipalities and 230 in town panchayats. The saffron party could not win a majority on its own in any local body.
The AIADMK's poor performance was reflected in the party losing its strongholds and the DMK capturing numerous seats in western Tamil Nadu, notably Coimbatore, Erode, and Salem. The AIADMK candidate lost to the DMK in Edappadi, the home seat of former chief minister K Palaniswami.
Palaniswami's own ward no. 23 in Salem Municipal Corporation was also won by the DMK.
Transgender candidate, R Ganga of the DMK, won from the Vellore Municipal Corporation by a margin of 15 votes. This is the first time a transgender candidate has won from the DMK in urban local body polls.
Five candidates supported by Vijay Makkal Iyyakam, the fans association of superstar Vijay, won in corporation wards, including three in Chennai.
Actor Kamal Haasan-led Makkal Needhi Maiam failed to win any seats in municipal corporations, municipalities or town panchayats.
Tamil Nadu Urban Local Body Poll Results: How DMK And AIADMK Reacted
After the results were declared, DMK president and Chief Minister MK Stalin said the win was proof of people's endorsement of the 'Dravidian Model' of governance and added that he would slog to uphold the faith reposed by the people on him.
AIADMK co-ordinator O Panneerselvam said the party "will win again as per people's wishes".
"Dharma would win eventually and evidencing it, a democratic opportunity shall ensure that people's true state of mind, aspirations are reflected. On that day, people's power will win. AIADMK will win again as per people's wishes. This will happen for sure," Panneerselvam said in a statement.
(With agency inputs)