Tamil Nadu election results 2021: Minority backing for DMK front up

CHENNAI: The DMK alliance should thank the minority voters in Tamil Nadu for giving it a comfortable majority.
Of the 27 segments with more than 20% minority votes across the state, the DMK alliance has won or has maintained comfortable leads in 19 segments. The AIADMK front is leading only in eight segments with more than 20% minority votes, meaning, its strike rate is less than 30% in such segments, whereas that of the DMK is more than 70%. If this trend is any indication, minorities in the remaining 207 segments also could have favoured the DMK front.
The DMK front has won or is leading in133 of the 207 segments with less than 20% minority votes. The strike rate for the AIADMK is slightly better in this category at 35% and that of the DMK is 64%, marginally lower than its performance in the minority bastions. The DMK has won all the three segments – Perambur, Egmore and Harbour — with sizeable minority voters in Chennai city.
Interestingly, the BJP is set to bag minority-dominated Nagercoil constituency. Other surprises are AIADMK’s surge in Muslim-dominated Vaniyambadi and Kadayanallur segments, despite the party having alliance with the BJP. The AIADMK has fielded C Krishnamurali, a non-Muslim, in Kadayanallur.
When reports last came in, he had established a comfortable lead over his IUML rival, K A M Muhammed Abubaker. AIADMK veteran O S Manian was leading in Vedaranyam segment with sizeable Muslim population. Despite the DMK campaigning against Pollachi Jayaraman, charging him with supporting some accused in the Pollachi sex scandal, he emerged victorious in Pollachi, which has sizeable minority votes.
The AIADMK had won 122 of 207 seats with less than 20% minority votes and secured 41.1% vote share in those seats in the last elections held in 2016. The party also won 12 of 27 seats with more than 20% minority votes and secured 38.1% vote share in those seats.
The DMK front won 84 seats with less than 20% minority votes and secured 39.8% voteshare in those segments in 2016. The front also won 14 seats with more than 20% minority votes and secured 39.1% vote share in those seats.
Elections were rescinded in one seat with more than 20% minority votes – Aravakurichi — and one seat with less than 20% minority votes – Thanjavur — in 2016 owing to voter bribing. While the AIADMK had chosen to go it alone and accommodated some minor parties that agreed to contest on the AIADMK symbol, the DMK front had more than half-a-dozen parties including the Congress in its fold in the last elections.