Tamil Nadu will go to elections this year to select representatives of its 294 constituencies in the state legislative assembly. The current AIADMK government is set to complete its tenure on 22 May 2016. Elections in the state have been a two-cornered contest between the DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) and the AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) till now. However, this looks likely to change soon. Braving the Bihar debacle, the BJP is trying hard to achieve a breakthrough in this southern state.
The Congress-DMK Alliance
With elections around the corner once again, all major political contenders have joined the race to strengthen their winning prospects. DMK, the main opposition party, has declared that it will fight the elections together with the Congress. Evidently, the two have decided to bury the hatchet in the run-up to assembly elections after splitting over the Sri Lankan Tamils’ issue a couple of years back.
AIADMK Warms Up to BJP
Not to be left behind in the race for alliance, ruling party AIADMK also seems to cosying up to the idea of allying with the BJP. While AIADMK is concerned about losing votes due to its mishandling of the Chennai floods, the BJP is eager to strengthen its own prospects in Tamil Nadu. Projecting itself as a third alternative for the people of Tamil Nadu who want neither the DMK nor the AIADMK , the Peoples’ Welfare Front is a grand alliance of the MDMK, CPI, CPI(M) and VCK.
Opinion Polls
It is difficult to gauge at this point which party will get the mandate to form government. Some opinion polls say that the AIADMK has a slight edge over the DMK. The BJP also seems set to make its mark in this election. Nonetheless, much depends on the undecided voter because it is these two or three percentage of votes that will hold the key to the final outcome of the 2016 assembly elections. The AIADMK won 150 seats in the last assembly elections while its rival, the DMK, was reduced to a non-entity with just 23 seats. The CPI and INC won 10 and five seats each.
Tamil Nadu Assembly Election Results 2011
| Party Name | Seats |
|---|---|
| All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) | 150 |
| Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) | 29 |
| Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam(DMK) | 23 |
| Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) | 10 |
| Communist Party of India (CPI) | 9 |
| Indian National Congrass (INC) | 5 |
| Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) | 3 |
| Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMKA) | 2 |
| Puthiya Tamilagam (PT) | 2 |
| All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) | 1 |
| Total | 234 |
Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections in May 2016
- BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) released its fourth list of candidates for 27 seats in the May 16 Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections.
- Surveillance teams seized illegal cash of over Rs. 62 crore with Tamil Nadu leading the list with maximum seizures of Rs. 24.90 crore.
- PMK(Pattali Makkal Katchi) leader and former Union Minister for Health Anbumani Ramadoss will be contesting from Pennagaram.
- Son of former Union Finance Minister and senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram, Karti Chidambaram won’t be contesting the polls this time.
Explore More :
Tamil Nadu Elections 2016 – Assembly Constituencies Map
Tamil Nadu Elections 2016 Schedules, Voting Dates and Time Table
Candidates List for Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections
