CHENNAI: Two prominent candidates in Tamil Nadu, including Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi leader Thol Thirumavalavan, lost the assembly election by less than 100 votes.
Thirumavalavan was defeated in Kattumannarkoil reserved constituency by a mere 87 votes, with AIADMK's N Murugumaran retaining the rural constituency in Cuddalore district. The VCK chief polled 48,363 votes while Murugumaran got 48,450 votes.
Interestingly, an independent candidate named T Thirumavalavan played spoilsport by bagging 289 votes. Murugumaran defeated VCK general secretary Ravikumar by a margin of around 32,000 votes in 2011.
Similarly, DMK contestant and popular TV panelist M Appavu lost Radhapuram constituency in Tirunelveli district by the even narrower margin of 49 votes to AIADMK’s I S Inbadurai, who polled 69590 votes. Anti-nuclear activist S P Udayakumar, who contested as an independent, received 4891 votes. Appavu had been elected as a legislator from the constituency in the past.
A few other contestants won by a few hundred votes like R T Arasu, who emerged victorious on a DMK ticket from Cheyyur reserved constituency in Kancheepuram district by 304 votes, defeating his nearest rival and AIADMK candidate Munusamy.