Sidelined AIADMK leader TTV Dhinkaran established initial lead in the counting of votes on Sunday at the Queen Mary’s College for the Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar bypoll. More than a year after Jayalalithaa's death, the constituency that she represented in the Tamil Nadu Assembly finally selected her replacement on December 21.
Security has been beefed up in various parts of the city, officials said. Over 500 security personnel are deployed around Queen Mary’s College.
Live updates
11:40 am: BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has commented on R.K. Nagar elections. "Dinakaran seems to have won the R K Nagar election caused by JJ death. I expect to see the two ADMK factions now to unite for 2019 LS poll," he has tweeted.
11:30 am: Sources say Mr. Dhinakaran will arrive at Chennai airport later in the day and head to MGR memorial to pay tributes to the former chief minister on his death anniversary. He will then proceed to the counting centre.
Mr. Dhinakaran leads by 11816 votes after the end of fourth round of counting.
11:20 am: Tally at the end of third round
| TTV Dhinakaran | 15868 |
| AIADMK | 7033 |
| DMK | 3691 |
| BJP | 220 |
| Naam Thamilar | 737 |
| NOTA | 208 |
11:00 am Tamil Nadu BJP chief Tamilisai Soundararajan has said the counting trends show cash-for-votes was rampant in the byelection. The BJP has pulled a poor show with its party candidate getting votes less than NOTA option.
10:55 am: Tally at the end of second round
| TTV Dhinakaran | 10421 |
| AIADMK | 4521 |
| DMK | 2324 |
| BJP | 117 |
| Naam Thamilar | 459 |
| NOTA | 208 |
AIADMK govt will fall in 3 months: Dhinakaran
10:45 am: TTV Dhinakaran meets the press at Madurai airport and thanks people of R.K. Nagar who voted for him. Thanking the "1.5 crore" workers who facilitated his victory, Mr. Dhinakaran claims that the AIADMK will lose its ruling party status in three months time.
Mr. Dhinakaran claimed his faction was the "true AIADMK" and goes on to say "R.K. Nagar people have chosen Amma's successor." It doesn't matter who has the Two Leaves symbol or the party's name. What matters is the who the 1.5 crore party workers are sided with, he said.
10:30 am: In the second round, Mr. Dhinakaran leads with 5,081 votes. But Mr. Dhinakaran's supporters object to the data, claiming that the officials were announcing erroneous data.
10:20 am: Third round of counting resumes after the damaged furniture are replaced.
Police deployed outside Queen Mary's College following the clash between AIADMK and TTV Dhinkaran supporters. | Photo Credit: M. Vedhan
Counting resumes, says EO
9:55 am: District Electoral Officer D. Karthikeyan says police have restored peace in the counting centre. "Nothing alarming. The compilation of second round is going on," he says.
9:50 am: Officials try to pacify the warring counting agents, but invain. It appears like the AIADMK counting agents are determined to disrupt the counting process. Police and paramilitary forces step inside the counting hall, reports Aloysius Xavier Lopez.
9:45 am: Meanwhile, Mr. Dhinakaran's supporters have started arriving at his residence. They demand AIADMK should be handed over to Mr. Dhinakaran.
Counting disrupted
A counting agent comes out with a torn shirt after clash erupted at counting centre.
| Photo Credit: Jothi Ramalingam
9:30 am Supporters of AIADMK and Dhinakaran clash inside counting hall leading to violence. Police forces step in. Counting is paused. Television channels show police forcibly removing cadres of both sides are counting agents were found damaging furniture.
Counting personnel were prevented from counting by some party agents believed to be from AIADMK. Police forcefully removed them. This included a woman agent as well.
9:20 am: Tally at the end of first round
| TTV Dhinakaran | 5339 |
| AIADMK | 2738 |
| DMK | 1181 |
| BJP | 66 |
| Naam Thamilar | 258 |
| NOTA | 122 |
9:15 am: Unfazed by Mr. Dhinakaran establishing a lead, AIADMK supporters who have gathered outside party office are confident that Mr. Madhusoodhanan will win. "We had seen a similar scene in 1977 and believe Madhusudhanan will win," a cadre tells R. Sujatha.
9:00 am The official figures for the first round is out. TTV Dhinakaran is leading in RK Nagar by-election by 2,906 votes. Madhusoodhanan gets 2,432 votes.
9:00 am Arivalayam, the headquarters of DMK wears a deserted look with very few supporters, reports R. Srikanth
TTV Dhinakaran leads
8:45 am : TTV Dhinakaran is leading in each of the 14 tables of the first round, securing more than 50% of the votes. AIADMK's E. Madhusoodhanan comes second and DMK, a close third.
Supporters of TTV Dhinakaran distribute sweets inside an MTC bus that passes by Queen Mary's College, where votes polled in the R.K. Nagar bypoll is being counted. | Photo Credit: M. Vedhan
8:30 am It's AIADMK founder M.G.Ramachandran's death anniversary today. The MGR statue in AIADMK's office is being garlanded by cadres. While the party office is largely empty, leaders and cadres are visiting MGR memorial in Kamaraj Salai.
The counting of votes is happening just a few kilometres away from the MGR memorial.
8:25 am With the first round of voting just ending, sidelined AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran, who contested as an independent appears to be leading, reports Aloysius Xavier Lopez.
Data from across the table is being compiled now.
Lone postal vote goes to DMK
8:15 am Only one postal vote was polled in the constituency and that went to DMK candidate Marudu Ganesh.
Now, EVMs are being opened. Votes polled in 258 polling centers are being counted in 14 tables.
8:00 am Counting of votes begin. As many as 100 personnel are engaged in the counting process.
Each counting table has one micro observer, a Central government employee.
After the completion of each round, candidate-wise votes will be displayed and a copy is handed over to the candidate's agent.
7:40 am With 59 candidates in the fray, the counting for the byelection to the Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar Assembly constituency is likely to be completed on Sunday afternoon.
The ruling AIADMK, Opposition DMK, the BJP and director-turned-politician Seeman's Naam Thamilar Katchi are in the fray. Sidelined AIADMK leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran, contested as an independent.
The polling percentage in the bypoll settled at 77.5 on Friday, after officials of the Election Commission completed final calculations.
Counting to begin at 8 am
7:30 am Counting of votes polled in the R.K. Nagar Assembly constituency will begin at 8 am today.
There will be 19 rounds of counting. Postal ballots, if any, will be counted first and then electronic voting machines will be opened for counting. Randomisation of counting personnel will be done early in the morning,” said an official of the Chennai District Election Office.
On Thursday night, the EVMs were brought to the counting centre at Queen Mary’s College. The strong room where the EVMs are kept was sealed.