TVK falters in Cauvery delta, wins just 2 of 18 seats

Trichy: Despite a strong performance across the state, Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) struggled in the Cauvery delta, winning just two of the 18 constituencies across Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai districts.The DMK alliance dominated the region with 13 seats, while the AIADMK alliance secured three. TVK finished second in nine constituencies and third in seven. In Tiruvarur district, TVK candidates came second in Tiruvarur and Thiruthuraipoondi, and third in Mannargudi and Nannilam, polling between 40,000 and 75,000 votes but losing by margins of 12,000 to 41,000 votes. In Nagapattinam, the party secured second place in Nagapattinam and Kilvelur, and third in Vedaranyam. In Kilvelur, TVK's P Senthil Pandiyan briefly led in a CPM stronghold before losing to CPM's Latha Thangamani by 2,278 votes. In Mayiladuthurai district, TVK candidates in Sirkazhi, Mayiladuthurai and Poompuhar polled over 50,000 votes each but finished third, trailing candidates from the DMK and AIADMK alliances by margins of 10,000 to 25,000 votes. Thanjavur district offered the only relief for TVK, with victories in two urban constituencies. S Vijay Saravanan won Thanjavur by 16,955 votes, while R Vinoth edged past rivals in Kumbakonam by 679 votes. In the remaining six seats, the party finished second in five and third in one, coming closest in Papanasam where it lost by 1,065 votes. Party functionaries attributed the setbacks to the entrenched influence of Dravidian parties in the delta. Some candidates also alleged distribution of money and gifts by rivals. However, TVK leaders said the party was encouraged by its second-place finishes and aimed to convert these into wins in future elections.