RK Nagar Voters Have Elected Amma’s True Successor: TTV Dhinakaran

Supporters of Dhinakaran began celebrating before noon, after early counting trends put him in the lead with a massive margin in RK Nagar. His campaign was marred by the release of a video of Jayalalithaa's final moments in the hospital, as well as a cash for votes scam. He is closely followed by AIADMK’s E Madhusudhanan.

• RK Nagar is a triangular contest between independent candidate TTV Dhinakaran, the AIADMK’s E Madhusudhanan and the DMK’s Congress-backed candidate, Marudhu Ganesh
• The outcome of the RK Nagar bypolls will serve as a report card of the ruling AIADMK, which has been on shaky legs since the death of former TN CM Jayalalithaa in December 2016

• The bypoll is estimated to be one of India’s costliest elections, setting back the exchequer around Rs 3 crore

Latest vote count in the RK Nagar by-elections shows Dhinakaran comfortably ahead with 34,731 votes. Madhusudhanan has polled 17,477 votes and Maruthu Ganesh has 9,166 votes. The total number of votes counted is 66828.

BJP, meanwhile, has polled 485 votes.

TTV Dhinakaran: 34,731 votes
Madhusudhanan: 17,477 votes
Maruthu Ganesh: 9,166
BJP: 485

Soon as the numbers for the sixth round of counting came in, Dhinakarn landed in Chennai after addressing the media in Madurai, according to The News Minute. Supporters were already waiting to welcome him at the Chennai airport.

Sixth round of counting ended at the RK Nagar bypolls with TTV Dhinakaran maintaining a substantial lead with 29,255 votes. AIADMK has polled 15,184 votes and DMK continues to trail with 7,986 votes.

TTV Dhinakaran: 29,255 votes
Madhusudhanan: 15,184 votes
Maruthu Ganesh: 7,986 votes

According to The News Minute, counting for the fifth round is over. Dhinakaran is still leading with 24,132 votes.

The vote count at the end of the fifth round stands as follows:

TTV Dhinakaran: 24,132 votes
Madhusudhanan: 13,057 votes
Maruthu Ganesh: 6,606 votes

According to The News Minute, at the end of the fourth round of counting, the vote count is:

Independent TTV Dhinakaran: 20,298 votes
AIADMK’s Madhusudhanan: 9,672 votes
DMK’s Marudhu Ganesh: 5,091 votes

Claiming victory, TTV Dhinakaran addressed the media at the Madurai airport and said, "this is the best gift for the 1.5 crore party supporters" on the 30th death anniversary of party founder, the late Chief Minister MG Ramachandran, fondly addressed as MGR, reports PTI.

On the symbol issue, with the Election Commission awarding it recently to the Palaniswamy-led camp, Dhinakaran said only a candidate determines the symbol. Amidst chuckles from his supporters, he said

Referring to the scuffle earlier at the counting centre and the results of the bypoll, he said,

The Quint’s Vikram Venkateswaran brings you updates from celebrations from TTV Dhinakaran’s supporters.

The Quint’s Vikram Venkateswaran runs you through an interesting scenario if TTV Dhinakaran wins in RK Nagar.

After the third round of voting, here is the vote count.

Independent TTV Dhinakaran: 15,868 votes
AIADMK’s Madhusudhanan: 7,033 votes
DMK’s Marudhu Ganesh: 3,750 votes

Independent TTV Dhinakaran: 10, 421 votes
AIADMK’s Madhusudhanan: 4,521 votes
DMK’s Marudhu Ganesh: 2,383 votes

TTV Dhinakaran’s supporters were seen celebrating his early lead in the RK Nagar bypoll.

The third round of counting has begun as security is tightened around election agents and media at the counting centre, reports The Times of India. As TTV Dhinakaran cements his lead, Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy commented,

After a scuffle halted counting for the RK Nagar bypoll, the Chennai Commissioner of Police AK Viswanathan said to The Lede that the situation is under control at the counting centre and that no EVMs have been damaged. An election officer present at the centre has been reported as saying that the second round of counting has resumed. Security has been tightened in the aftermath of the scuffle.

As early leads show a victory for Sasikala’s nephew and independent candidate TTV Dhinakaran, AIADMK’s E Madhusudhanan told reporters that,

Counting has been paused because of a scuffle between counting agents of TTV Dhinakaran and AIADMK's Madhusudhanan at Queen Mary's college, reports The News Minute. Three counting agents have been brought out of the premises and counting will resume after the situation is under control. It’s being reported that chairs were hurled at and there was screaming between the two camps.

As per official figures of the first round of counting, with 10,021 votes polled, in the RK Nagar Bypoll are:

Independent TTV Dinakaran: 5,399 votes
AIADMK’s Madhusudhanan: 2,738 votes
DMK’s Marudhu Ganesh: 1,181 votes
BJP’s Karu Nagarajan: 66 votes

As early official leads indicate a win for TTV Dhinakaran, his followers celebrate.

The vote count stands at 257 for Madhusudhanan, 419 for TTV Dhinakaran, and 92 for Maruthu Ganesh, reports Thanthi TV. According to these figures, TTV Dhinakaran leads in the first round of counting.

The counting in RK Nagar bypoll has begun. The News Minute reports that there will be 18 full rounds and one final round of counting and high security has been deployed at Queen Mary’s college where counting is happening. Here are some visuals from outside the counting centre.

Outside a counting center in Chennai, Karu Nagarajan, the BJP candidate from RK Nagar said,

Sidelined AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran said a video purportedly showing former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in a hospital was a "private" one shot by her confidante V K Sasikala and claimed it was released by an aide without his knowledge.

Breaking his silence on the issue a day after the video was released by a loyalist, Dhinakaran claimed that top functionaries of the ruling AIADMK, including Chief Minister K Palaniswami, were aware of its existence.

Dhinakaran said he was "disappointed" over his key aide P Vetrivel releasing it.

"It is a private video...shot by Chinnamma (Sasikala) on the request of Amma (Jayalalithaa) who wanted to know how she looked," he told reporters.

Voting for RK Nagar bypoll concludes with the final voter turnout standing at 77.68 percent.

The Election Commission recorded a voter turnout of 68.71 percent till 4 pm.

Though voting was supposed to end at 5 pm, tokens were issued to voters in queue beyond the stipulated time. Reports say voting is likely to continue till 7 pm.

The voter turnout till 3 pm stands at 57.16 percent, according to The Election Commission.

According to the Election Commission, the voter turnout stood at 41.6 percent as of 1 pm.

According to the Election Commission, the voter turnout in the RK Nagar bypoll stood at 23.74 percent at 11 am.

Minutes after her acquittal in the 2G spectrum case, Rajya Sabha MP and DMK leader Kanimozhi told News 18 that she was sure that DMK would win the RK Nagar bypoll, irrespective of the the 2G scam verdict.

TTV Dhinakaran, who is contesting the bypoll as an independent candidate, told reporters that he thought the polling time should be extended so as to make up for lost time because of faulty EVMs.

Further refuting BJP’s allegations of cash for votes, Dhinakaran said that if people agreed to vote for him based on a promise for cash at a later date, that only meant that they trusted him.

According to reports, 15 people were arrested for allegedly distributing Rs 20 notes in RK Nagar on polling day.

According to The News Minute, TTV Dhinakaran, pointed out faulty EVMs at polling booths and alleged that they were not in order.

EC Rajesh Lakhoni has said it's a minor issue and will now look into the complaints.

Voters at a booth were in for a surprise after a man brought his dog along to the polling booth. The officials denied the canine entry, following which the man left his dog outside with a friend before heading in to vote.

The voter turnout stands at 7.32 percent as of 9 am.

After casting his vote, AIADMK’s candidate reiterated his belief in the electoral process.

Refusing to comment on the video of Jayalalithaa that was released by the TTV camp yesterday, Madhusudhanan said that CM E Palaniswami had given specific instructions regarding the clip.

According to Thanthi TV, an EVM in booth number 77 in New Washermenpet has stopped functioning. The machine allegedly failed to accept votes after 54 votes had been cast.

According to the report, the machine has been non-functional for the last 30 minutes and officials are looking into the matter.

Jeyaraman, an Independent candidate, alleged that the BJP candidate was blocking polling in booth number 200, reports The Quint’s Vikram Venkateswaran.

Assuring that the elections would be conducted in a free and fair manner, Commissioner of Police AK Viswanathan said that the polling booth have adequate security arrangements.

BJP candidate Karu Nagarajan accused the TTV camp of continuing to distribute cash for acquiring votes.

Holding up a Rs 20 note for the cameras, Nagarajan said that he would now go and register a complaint with the EC and police. He alleged that the Rs 20 note was a promise of Rs 6,000 for every favourable vote.

Accusing the EC of failing to conduct free and fair elections, Nagarajan said:

After casting his vote in booth number 134, DMK’s candidate Marudhu Ganesh told reporters that he was confident his party would win the bypoll.

BJP candidate Karu Nagarajan arrives at a polling booth to cast his vote.

DMK candidate N Marudhu Ganesh reaches polling booth number 134 in Old Washermenpet, to cast his vote. However, he is not being allowed to go inside the booth to cast his vote, reports The Quint’s Vikram Venkateswaran.

Voting for RK Nagar by-poll will begin at 8 am.

AIADMK’s E Madhusudhanan, Independent candidate TTV Dhinakaran and DMK’s N Marudhu Ganesh among the top contenders for the coveted seat.

The counting of votes will take place on 24 December.

On the eve of the RK Nagar bypoll in Tamil Nadu, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday, 20 December, declined to pass any order directing the Election Commission to put the election on hold.

Justice Indermeet Kaur also declined to pass any order directing a CBI probe into complaints and allegations of widespread corrupt practices in connection with the bypoll.

With the court refusing to "delve" into the matter as the by-election is scheduled for tomorrow, the petitioner withdrew his plea which was "dismissed as withdrawn".

The court, however, directed the commission to look into the representation given by the petitioner on 7 December, alleging widespread corrupt practices in connection with the bypoll, and to dispose it of within four weeks.

Commenting on the release of the video showing Jayalalithaa on her hospital bed, DMK Spokesperson Saravanan said that the timing was suspect, and that the video does not solve any of the mysteries surrounding Jayalalithaa’s death.

Earlier in the day, DMK working president Stalin had said that he did not think that the TTV camp would politicise Jayalalithaa’s death.

Meanwhile, Saravanan questioned the TTV camp’s earlier rhetoric where they inisisted they wouldn’t release any videos.

Jayakumar, the Fisheries Minister in the AIADMK government alleged that the video had been released with ‘intentions’.

Questioning the legitimacy of the video, Jayakumar said that the late chief minister was appointed Z plus security, which would have made it impossible for the person to shoot the video.

He added that the as none of the ministers and dignitaries were allowed to visit Jayalalithaa when she was hospitalised, the question regarding the person behind the video still loomed large.

Also seeking clarity on the video, Jakaumar said:

Accusing the Sasikala family of ‘troubling’ Jayalalithaa, Jayakumar alleged that they had released the video with the ‘intention of winning, by troubling Amma again.’

Apsara Reddy, a TTV Dhinakaran supporter has rubbished claims of the video being released as a strategic move before the RK Nagar bypoll, stating that the earlier exit polls had already forecasted a win for the TTV camp.

Speaking out against the allegations leveled against Sasikala, Reddy said that while the video was not necessary for the faction to ensure a victory, it was “important to silence heartless politicians.”

Reddy also said that she was unsure if Sasikala approved releasing the video to garner votes.

Speaking to The Quint, Rajesh Lakhoni, the Chief Electoral Officer from Tamil Nadu said that the release of Jayalalithaa’s video was a violation of Section 126 1(b) of the Representation of People’s Act - the penalty for which amounts upto 2 years of imprisonment.

Requesting media houses to refrain from broadcasting the clip, Lakhoni said that the telecast of the video was a violation as the RPA ‘prohibits display of any 'election matter', inter-alia, on TV during the period of 48 hours fixed for conclusion of polls.’

The TTV Dinakaran camp has denied that their association with the release of the Jayalalithaa clip. The faction alleges that Vetrivel had uploaded it without Dhinkaran’s permission.

Dhinakaran is not allowed to speak to media as per election code of conduct.

A day before the RK Nagar bypoll, a member from the TTV camp has released a video with visuals of deceased chief minister J Jayalalithaa in the hospital.

Speaking to reporters following the video release, Vetrivel from the TTV camp said:

The video shows a frail Jayalalithaa on a bed, drinking from a glass and presumably watching TV. She has an IV drip attached to her right hand, while she’s sipping on a glass of juice in her left hand.

According to an opinion poll conducted by Thanthi TV, just before the RK Nagar bye-election, the contest between the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is a close one, with independent candidate TTV Dhinakaran playing spoilsport, splitting the votes between the two parties.

Thanthi TV asked around 3,000 voters from the RK Nagar constituency about their views on the recent events influencing the polls and whom they will vote for.

The poll saw 35 percent people saying they would vote for a united AIADMK and a close 34 percent said they would vote for DMK. There is strong support for Sasikala’s nephew, TTV Dhinakaran, with 28 percent people saying they will vote for him.

Campaigning for the high-stakes 21 December bypoll came to an end on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, with campaigning coming to an end, the Election Commission has now barred all other related activities as is the rule.

Liquor shops in the constituency will remain closed from 5 pm Tuesday till 5 pm on the polling day, as well as on 24 December.

Chief Electoral Officer of Tamil Nadu Rajesh Lakhoni said that news reports suggesting RK Nagar poll has been cancelled are not true, reported ANI.

The Election Commission on Sunday announced that the total amount of money it had seized in connection to alleged bribery from RK Nagar was Rs 30.29 lakh. The police has filed 95 FIRs related to poll code violations so far, and remanded 15 people in custody.

However, on Monday, the Election Commission told the Madras High Court that they had put in place unprecedented arrangements to curb electoral crimes in the constituency.

But on the ground, members of the flying squad are helpless and can do very little to stop illegal activity. Speaking to The News Minute, an official said:

Assembly elections are around the corner for RK Nagar. The musical chairs to fill that one seat, that’s been vacant for over a year now, is set to begin. Whoever grabs it will be inevitably compared with deceased chief minister Jayalalithaa, whose constituency it was.

But what do the people of RK Nagar really want? And who do they want? We asked, and they answered like a boss!

Campaigning for the high-stakes 21 December RK Nagar bypoll will end on the evening of 19 December in Chennai, and the outcome of the hustings is likely to be seen as a report card of the 17-month old AIADMK government.

As per Election Commission’s directives, the political campaigning will end by 5 pm. The bypoll will cost the exchequer an unprecedented Rs 3 crore, making it the costliest election in India’s history, reported The Times of India.

The campaign witnessed the top leaders of various parties – Chief Minister K Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam of the AIADMK, DMK leader MK Stalin and sidelined AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran – reaching out to voters with hectic campaign schedules.

The Opposition is putting up a united show in a bid to to snatch victory. Many Opposition parties, including the Congress, the VCK, and the Left have backed DMK candidate N Maruthuganesh.

Dhinakaran, who fell out of favour with Palaniswami and also lost the battle for party's 'two leaves' symbol to the latter, is fighting as an Independent. He said he was confident that he could spring a surprise against the AIADMK's E Madhusudhanan as well as the DMK.