Political leaders in Tamil Nadu, cutting across parties, are on tenterhooks following the different results of exit polls held by various agencies immediately after the May 16 Assembly election. With all set for the counting of votes which begins at 8 am on Thursday, the State is witnessing an unprecedented calm in anticipation of the major storm lying ahead. The unseasonal rains ravaging Chennai and other neighbouring districts since Monday continued unabated on Wednesday also helping to bring down the heat of the Agni Nakshathram season which is underway in Tamil Nadu.
The Gopalapuram residence of DMK chief M Karunanidhi , fondly called Thatha (grandfather) by the people, was a beehive of activity on Wednesday with many senior party leaders dropping in to greet him on the eve of counting. Since many exit polls had projected the DMK as the ultimate winners in this Assembly election, most senior leaders who were in political wilderness following the “successive” failures of the party since 2011 made it to the residence of Karunanidhi to make the leader aware of their existence. The main reason for their “pilgrimage” to Gopalapuram is the ensuing election to Rajya Sabha from the State. Six members of the Upper House from Tamil Nadu are retiring by this month end. Since the exit polls are favouring the DMK, some of the leaders like TR Balu see an opportunity to bounce back to New Delhi. There are reports that Karunanidhi and Stalin have started discussions with party seniors about the composition of the next Government.
But the AIADMK camp is not that upset because of the exit polls giving advantage to the DMK. Reports coming from districts like Madurai favour the AIADMK. AR Meyyammai, a senior political journalist, pointed out that there was heavy polling in rural Tamil Nadu. “I will not give the AIADMK a walk over or a landslide win. But Jayalalithaa could be the ultimate winner though with a reduced majority because the rural voters always prefer Jayalalithaa,” said Meyyamai..
V Murugan, a close confidante of DMK chief Karunanidhi too said the AIADMK is all set to return to power. “I do not go by the exit polls. It is going to be AIADMK and Jayalalithaa this time too,” said Murugan, a former IAS officer.
Of the 4, 28, 73674 voters who cast their votes on Monday, 2, 16, 28,807 were women and 2, 12, 44,129 men. The high turnout in rural areas and women voters indicate a pro-Jayalalithaa trend as these are her traditional areas of strength.
If Jayalalithaa scrapes through the 2016 election, she could be the first Tamil Nadu politician to score a hat trick in elections since 1984. Since 2011, Jayalalithaa and the AIADMK have been unstoppable and are on a winning spree. She won the 2011 Assembly election, swept the 2014 lok Sabha election and continued her Aswamedha by winning all by elections held in the State.
According to Rajesh lakhoni, CEO, the trends would be known by noon itself.