Tamil Nadu urban local body polls: The voting turnout was 60.7 per cent.
Chief Minister MK Stalin's ruling DMK is headed for a big win in Tamil Nadu's urban local body polls that were held on Saturday after a gap of a decade. The BJP has split from AIADMK, the main opposition in the state, and is contesting alone. The results would be seen as a report card on Chief Minister MK Stalin's nine-month performance.
Out of the total 1,374 corporation wards in the state, DMK has so far won 289 and the main opposition AIADMK 49. The DMK's ally CPI(M) has won 11 while rival BJP has managed 3, according to the Tamil Nadu State Election Commission.
The voting turnout was 60.7 per cent.
In municipalities (total ward member seats 3,843), the DMK has bagged 1,211 and AIADMK 320. Congress has won 80, CPI 10, CPM 24, BJP 29, and DMDK 5.
In town panchayats, the AIADMK has won 1,070 wards and the DMK 3,782. Congress has won 258, BJP 132, CPM 58, and CPI 22.
Urban civic polls were held on February 19 and counting of votes started at 8 am in the state in 268 centres.
21 cities including the capital Chennai, 138 municipalities and 490 town panchayats will elect more than 12,000 members. Over the last five years, these bodies did not have elected representatives as elections were not held.
This is the first poll after MK Stalin became Chief Minister. He's trying for a fourth consecutive victory in these polls for his party. The AIADMK is attempting to revive after three successive poll defeats.
This time, the ruling DMK had taken up national issues of federalism and state autonomy. Chief Minister MK Stalin has even launched a federation for social justice in a bid to bring together several non-BJP parties from across India.
AIADMK has alleged irregularities in polling. It also targeted DMK for not fulfilling the promise of providing Rs 1,000 monthly.
Poll results in Coimbatore will be subject to the court's verdict in a cash-for-vote case, the Madras High Court has ruled.