In a huge win, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa defeated CPI's Mahendran by over 1.5 lakh votes in bypoll to Radhakrishnan Nagar Nagar Assembly constituency. Jayalalithaa secured 1,60,921 votes and CPI's C Mahendran managed to get only 9,669 votes, a fight which was clearly seen as one-sided.
Thanking voters and AIADMK workers, Jayalalithaa termed her her victory as precursor to Assembly polls which are due in 2016.
Even as the counting was underway, her supporters started celebrations outside her residence in the morning giving a clear signal of who will be victorious at the end.
Besides Jayalalithaa and Mahendran, 26 others, including maverick social activist 'Traffic' Ramaswamy alias KR Ramaswamy, were in fray for the byelection which comes a year ahead of the Assembly polls.
Main opposition parties-- DMK, DMDK, Congress, BJP and PMK -- have boycotted the bypoll.
One of the smallest constituencies in Tamil Nadu, RK Nagar has 1,20,210 men voters and 1,23,014 women voters and 77 voters of the other category, the third gender.
The by-election was necessitated by AIADMK's P Vetrivel vacating the seat in May to enable Jayalalithaa seek re-election post her acquittal by the Karnataka High Court in a graft case.
Jayalalithaa has to fulfil the constitutional requirement of getting elected as MLA within six months of becoming Chief Minister.
The AIADMK supremo had returned to the top post on May 23 after being acquitted in the case. She had been convicted in the case in September last by a trial court in Bengaluru.
(With additional information from PTI)
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