The DMK is set to deprive the ruling AIADMK of a hat-trick of wins in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections by returning to power after a gap of 10 years, if the current trend prevails. However, it would not be a sweeping victory as predicted by most of the opinion and exit polls, with the AIADMK and its allies putting up a tough fight.
Trends at 3.30 pm indicate that the DMK will form the government on its own, with leads in 120 of the 234-member Legislative Assembly. The AIADMK is leading in 81 seats.
Interestingly, the BJP is likely to make its debut in the Assembly with leads in five constituencies.
In Chennai, the DMK is heading for a clean sweep, with leads in all the 13 seats. In the Harbour constituency, Vino John of the BJP led in the initial rounds over Sekar Babu, but the trend has reversed. DMK leader MK Stalin and his son Udhyanidhi Stalin have comfortable leads over their opponents in Kolathur and Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni constituencies, respectively.
In the Kanyakumari Lok Sabha by-poll, Vijaykumar of the Congress has a lead of 95,193 votes over Pon Radhakrishnan of the BJP.
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