Counting of votes in TN, Pondy bypolls on Thursday

In a keenly watched outcome, counting of votes in the bye-elections to one constituency each in Tamil Nadu and Union Territory of Puducherry will be taken up on Thursday.

The bypoll to Tiruchirappalli West constituency, the first poll exercise after the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam came to power in the April assembly polls, is seen as an acid test for the Jayalalithaa-led party.

AIADMK and its arch rival Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam, who dumped their allies, have slugged it out in the run up to the poll, making it a keen contest. The bye-election was caused by the death of AIADMK Minister Mariam Pitchai in a road accident.

DMK has fielded former minister K N Nehru who was arrested on land-grabbing charges but came out of jail on the eve of the poll. Nehru had lost to Pitchai in the assembly polls.

AIADMK has nominated former legislator M Paramjothi for the seat. Though the result will not alter political equations in the state, the main contenders -- AIADMK and DMK -- took the poll seriously.

Besides deputing a team of over 20 ministers and members of Parliament for election work, Jayalalithaa herself campaigned for her party nominee.

DMK supremo M Karunanidhi and his son, M K Stalin, campaigned for Nehru. In Puducherry, the bypoll was held for the Indira Nagar seat vacated by Chief Minister N Rangasamy, being the second constituency won by him in the April polls.

The outcome of the poll would be crucial for the All India NR Congress, which with a strength of 15 in the 30-member assembly, formed its government with the support of an independent.

With Rangasamy resigning one of his two seats, the party's strength has come down to 14.  Ruling AINRC's A Tamilselvane, nephew of Rangasamy, was pitted against Congress' K Aroumougame and AIADMK nominee A Venkateswararan.