Why Jayalalithaa won: A huge 12.41 pc vote swing

A massive 12.41 per cent vote swing in favour of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam front propelled it to a landslide win, helping it grab 202 of 234 constituencies in the April 13 assembly polls.

Coverage: Assembly Elections 2011 

The AIADMK front, comprising Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam, Left parties and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi polled 51.82 per cent of the 3,68,22,591 votes, while the DMK front got 39.41 per cent and won just 31 seats.

The massive 10 per cent swing reflected the public fury against the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam regime, hit by the 2G spectrum scam, power cut, skyrocketing prices and deteriorating law and order.

Though the DMK had fulfilled almost all its poll promises like distributing freebies, the results showed people were totally dissatisfied with the government's performance, leading to the front's flop show in the hustings.

The AIADMK believes Jayalalithaa's master stroke of forming a rainbow alliance by bringing in even the smallest parties into its fold paid rich dividends, enabling the AIADMK juggernaut steamroll its rival across the state, demolishing DMK citadels.

It was an AIADMK show right through from Kanyakumari to Chennai.

AIADMK legislature party is likely to meet on Saturday to elect Jayalalithaa as its leader following which she would stake her claims to form a ministry, signalling the beginning of her third tenure as the Chief Minister.

The dismal performance of Congress has dashed all hopes raised by the party's youth face Rahul Gandhi to revive the Congress in the state after losing power in 1967.

His attempts to replicate the UP formula, which had shown some results in the Lok Sabha polls in the state, had actually led to a Bihar-type situation for the party in Tamil Nadu, where it won a measly five seats of the 63 it contested.

No different is the story of DMK, Pattali Makkal Katchi, Viduthalai Chiruthaikal Katchi and fledging Kongu Makkal Katchi, all of whom had to eat humble pie in the polls with DMK has been relegated to third spot and might lose the status of main opposition in the assembly as DMDK has won more seats (28) in the polls.

The results have come as some solace for Left parties which had lost power in West Bengal and Kerala. These parties have put up 23 candidates, of whom 20 emerged victorious.

Muslim-backed Manithaneya Makkal Katchi, an AIADMK ally had won two of three seats and will make its debut in the assembly BJP's hopes of putting up a moderate performance to enter the assembly had been belied with the party forfeiting deposits in most places.

Top party leaders, including L K Advani, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Sushma Swaraj had vigorously campaigned, but in vain.

A number of DMK ministers, including party veterans K Anbalagan, Veerapandi S Arumugam, K N Nehru and K Ponmudi had been submerged by the AIADMK tidal waves.