Tamil Nadu assembly by-election, 2002
Encyclopedia
By-elections to Andipatti
constituency was held in Tamil Nadu
, India
, on February 21, 2002. Three state assembly constituencies, Saidapet
, Vaniyambadi
, and Acharapakkam
were held on May 31, 2002. In 2003, by-election in Sathankulam
was held on February 26, 2003. During this by-election, the DMK and all the other major parties supported the Congress candidate, while only BJP supported the AIADMK candidate. This election came after the support of the Anti-conversion bill by AIADMK chief, Jayalalithaa and increasing tension between DMK and BJP due to the passage of the bill. The AIADMK win in Sathankulam was significant, since it completes the AIADMK sweep in by-elections after its victory in 2001. Also the anti-conversion bill was not an important factor in the congress-bastion Sathankulam, whose electorate consists of a large percentage of minorities.
Despite attempts by the opposition to delay the Andipatti by-election, due to alleged voter list irregularities, the Election Commission of India
decided to have the vacant seat in Andipatti, early in February and push off the other three vacant seats, in May. Andipatti seat was made vacant by the resignation of Thanga Tamil Selvan
to facilitate the election of J. Jayalalithaa
, who had her corruption charges cleared in late December in 2001. She could be sworn in as Chief Minister only as MLA seat.
As AIADMK had won 132 seats in 2001 State assembly election
, even with the breakup of its previous alliance with Tamil Maanila Congress
(TMC), Indian National Congress
(INC), Communist Party of India
(CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist)
(CPM) and Pattali Makkal Katchi
(PMK), it would have still continued to stay in power, regardless of the results in the by-election. But since Jayalalithaa was legally not allowed to run for an MLA seat in 2001, she made the decision to run for an MLA seat before swearing in as Chief Minister.
The Andipatti victory, in late February, paved way for Jayalalithaa to swear in as Chief Minister. The party also swept the by-election in late May. The PMK lost an anticipated victory in Acharappakam, a constituency with a high percentage of Vanniyar
s electorates. It was observed that the Dalit
vote base coupled with the popularity of Jayalalithaa led to the defeat, allowing ADMK to wrest this seat from the PMK.
, almost all of her allies from 2001 election, left the ADMK alliance and started their own third front. The Third Front consisted of CPM, CPI, Indian National League
(INL), TMC and INC. ADMK, which was supported by 196 MLAs in 2001, shrunk to 132 seats, with 64 MLAs leaving the alliance. Only 117 seats are required for a party to form a Government. The PMK
, who backed AIADMK in 2001, backed the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
(DMK), in this by-election, which was part of the National Democratic Alliance
(NDA).
The MDMK, did not contest this seat, instead supported the PMK candidate, which also got the support of DMK and BJP.
Election was necessitated due to death of S.S. Mani Nadar.
Andipatti (State Assembly Constituency)
Andipatti is a constituency in the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly, that includes the city, Andipatti. It is part of the Periyakulam .- Madras State :- Tamil Nadu :AssemblyDurationName of M.L.A.Party Affiliation...
constituency was held in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, on February 21, 2002. Three state assembly constituencies, Saidapet
Saidapet (State Assembly Constituency)
Saidapet is the legislative assembly, that includes the city, Saidapet. Saidapet assembly constituency was part of Chennai South .- Madras State :- Tamil Nadu :- References :...
, Vaniyambadi
Vaniyambadi (State Assembly Constituency)
Vaniyambadi is a legislative assembly constituency in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Elections and winners in the constituency are listed below.- Madras State :- Tamil Nadu :- References :...
, and Acharapakkam
Acharapakkam (State Assembly Constituency)
Acharapakkam is a state assembly constituency in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It includes the town, Acharapakkam. The constituency is in existence since 1962 election. Acharapakkam assembly constituency is part of Chengalpattu .- Madras State :- Tamil Nadu :...
were held on May 31, 2002. In 2003, by-election in Sathankulam
Sathankulam (State Assembly Constituency)
Sathankulam is an assembly constituency located in Tiruchendur Lok Sabha Constituency in Tamil Nadu.- Madras State assembly:- Tamil Nadu assembly:...
was held on February 26, 2003. During this by-election, the DMK and all the other major parties supported the Congress candidate, while only BJP supported the AIADMK candidate. This election came after the support of the Anti-conversion bill by AIADMK chief, Jayalalithaa and increasing tension between DMK and BJP due to the passage of the bill. The AIADMK win in Sathankulam was significant, since it completes the AIADMK sweep in by-elections after its victory in 2001. Also the anti-conversion bill was not an important factor in the congress-bastion Sathankulam, whose electorate consists of a large percentage of minorities.
Despite attempts by the opposition to delay the Andipatti by-election, due to alleged voter list irregularities, the Election Commission of India
Election Commission of India
The Election Commission of India is an autonomous, quasi-judiciary constitutional body of India. Its mission is to conduct free and fair elections in India...
decided to have the vacant seat in Andipatti, early in February and push off the other three vacant seats, in May. Andipatti seat was made vacant by the resignation of Thanga Tamil Selvan
Thanga Tamil Selvan
Thanga Tamil Selvan an Indian politician from All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party and incumbent Member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from Andipatti constituency...
to facilitate the election of J. Jayalalithaa
J. Jayalalithaa
Jayalalithaa Jayaram ; born 24 February 1948) commonly referred to as J. Jayalalitha, is the Chief Minister of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. She is the incumbent general secretary of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam , a Dravidian party. She is called Amma and Puratchi Thalaivi by her...
, who had her corruption charges cleared in late December in 2001. She could be sworn in as Chief Minister only as MLA seat.
As AIADMK had won 132 seats in 2001 State assembly election
Tamil Nadu state assembly election, 2001
The twelfth legislative assembly election of Tamil Nadu was held on May 10, 2001. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam -led front won the elections and its leader, J. Jayalalithaa was sworn in as Chief Minister, even though she could not legally run as MLA in this election. She was unanimously...
, even with the breakup of its previous alliance with Tamil Maanila Congress
Tamil Maanila Congress
The Tamil Maanila Congress was a political party in Tamil Nadu. It was started by G K Moopanar by breaking away from the Indian National Congress protesting the decision of the party high command to form an alliance with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. After the death of Moopanar, his...
(TMC), Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
(INC), Communist Party of India
Communist Party of India
The Communist Party of India is a national political party in India. In the Indian communist movement, there are different views on exactly when the Indian communist party was founded. The date maintained as the foundation day by CPI is 26 December 1925...
(CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist)
Communist Party of India (Marxist)
The Communist Party of India is a political party in India. It has a strong presence in the states of Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura. As of 2011, CPI is leading the state government in Tripura. It leads the Left Front coalition of leftist parties in various states and the national parliament of...
(CPM) and Pattali Makkal Katchi
Pattali Makkal Katchi
Paattali Makkal Katchi is a Tamil political party.-History:PMK was founded by Dr. S. Ramdoss and the state president is G. K. Mani. Ramdoss had earlier worked with the Vanniyar Sangham founded by him in 1980. PMK is based amongst the Most Backward Class Vanniyakula Kshatriyas community...
(PMK), it would have still continued to stay in power, regardless of the results in the by-election. But since Jayalalithaa was legally not allowed to run for an MLA seat in 2001, she made the decision to run for an MLA seat before swearing in as Chief Minister.
The Andipatti victory, in late February, paved way for Jayalalithaa to swear in as Chief Minister. The party also swept the by-election in late May. The PMK lost an anticipated victory in Acharappakam, a constituency with a high percentage of Vanniyar
Vanniyar
Vanniyar , refers to a very large social group of people spread all across South India. Vanniyars primarily live in modern Tamil Nadu where they speak Tamil, while in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala they speak their native South Indian Dravidian languages namely, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam...
s electorates. It was observed that the Dalit
Dalit
Dalit is a designation for a group of people traditionally regarded as Untouchable. Dalits are a mixed population, consisting of numerous castes from all over South Asia; they speak a variety of languages and practice a multitude of religions...
vote base coupled with the popularity of Jayalalithaa led to the defeat, allowing ADMK to wrest this seat from the PMK.
Alliances
Due to reported frustrations with J. JayalalithaaJ. Jayalalithaa
Jayalalithaa Jayaram ; born 24 February 1948) commonly referred to as J. Jayalalitha, is the Chief Minister of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. She is the incumbent general secretary of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam , a Dravidian party. She is called Amma and Puratchi Thalaivi by her...
, almost all of her allies from 2001 election, left the ADMK alliance and started their own third front. The Third Front consisted of CPM, CPI, Indian National League
Indian National League
The Indian National League is a Muslim-based political party in India, mainly active in the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. INL is a splinter-group of the Indian Union Muslim League...
(INL), TMC and INC. ADMK, which was supported by 196 MLAs in 2001, shrunk to 132 seats, with 64 MLAs leaving the alliance. Only 117 seats are required for a party to form a Government. The PMK
Pattali Makkal Katchi
Paattali Makkal Katchi is a Tamil political party.-History:PMK was founded by Dr. S. Ramdoss and the state president is G. K. Mani. Ramdoss had earlier worked with the Vanniyar Sangham founded by him in 1980. PMK is based amongst the Most Backward Class Vanniyakula Kshatriyas community...
, who backed AIADMK in 2001, backed the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is a state political party in the states of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, India. It is a Dravidian party founded by C. N. Annadurai as a breakaway faction from the Dravidar Kazhagam headed by Periyar...
(DMK), in this by-election, which was part of the National Democratic Alliance
National Democratic Alliance (India)
The National Democratic Alliance is a centre-right coalition of political parties in India. At the time of its formation in 1998, it was led by the Bharatiya Janata Party and had thirteen constituent parties. Its convenor is Sharad Yadav, and its honorary chairman is former prime minister Atal...
(NDA).
Results
After 3rd bye-election:| ADMK | SEATS | DMK+ | SEATS | Third Front | SEATS | OTHERS | SEATS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AIADMK All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is a state political party in the states of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, India. The party was founded by M. G. Ramachandran and is now headed by J. Jayalalithaa. The party headquarters is in Royapettah, Chennai, and was gifted to the party in 1986 by its... |
135 (+3) | DMK Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is a state political party in the states of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, India. It is a Dravidian party founded by C. N. Annadurai as a breakaway faction from the Dravidar Kazhagam headed by Periyar... |
30 (-1) | CPM Communist Party of India (Marxist) The Communist Party of India is a political party in India. It has a strong presence in the states of Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura. As of 2011, CPI is leading the state government in Tripura. It leads the Left Front coalition of leftist parties in various states and the national parliament of... |
6 | MDMK Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is a political party in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu formed in 1994 by Mr. V. Gopalswamy , a member of Rajyasabha and a party activitist of DMK. Mr. V. Gopalsamy grew in the party from his student days. He actively participated in the party agitations and... |
0 |
| PMK Pattali Makkal Katchi Paattali Makkal Katchi is a Tamil political party.-History:PMK was founded by Dr. S. Ramdoss and the state president is G. K. Mani. Ramdoss had earlier worked with the Vanniyar Sangham founded by him in 1980. PMK is based amongst the Most Backward Class Vanniyakula Kshatriyas community... |
19 (-1) | CPI Communist Party of India The Communist Party of India is a national political party in India. In the Indian communist movement, there are different views on exactly when the Indian communist party was founded. The date maintained as the foundation day by CPI is 26 December 1925... |
5 | FBL | 1 | ||
| BJP Bharatiya Janata Party The Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament... |
4 | TMC Tamil Maanila Congress The Tamil Maanila Congress was a political party in Tamil Nadu. It was started by G K Moopanar by breaking away from the Indian National Congress protesting the decision of the party high command to form an alliance with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. After the death of Moopanar, his... |
23 | ||||
| MADMK MGR Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam M.G.R. Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, splinter-group of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. MGR ADMK was part of National Democratic Alliance and took part in the Central government of Atal Behari Vajpayee. The party was led by S... |
2 | INC Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian... |
7 | ||||
| INL Indian National League The Indian National League is a Muslim-based political party in India, mainly active in the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. INL is a splinter-group of the Indian Union Muslim League... |
0 (-1) | ||||||
| TOTAL (2002) | 135 | TOTAL (2002) | 55 | TOTAL (2002) | 43 | TOTAL (2002) | 1 |
| TOTAL (2001) | 196 | TOTAL (2001) | 37 | TOTAL (2001) | n/a | TOTAL (2001) | 1 |
- The number on the left, in the table, represents the total number of MLAs after the by-election, and the number in parenthesis represents, the seats picked up or lost due to the by-election
- The numbers presented for 2001, represents, the alliance, when the PMK and Third Front allied with the ADMK.
Andipatti
Saidapet
The election here became very controversial, when opposition leaders, DMK, the left and others, complained about ADMK party cadres allegedly working with the police, that resulted in taking over of polling booths. There were also complaints of voter registration fraud by the opposition. The opposition leaders appealed for an entirely new election in this constituent, which was rejected, by the ECI.Vaniyambadi
Source: The HinduThe Hindu
The Hindu is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Chennai since 1878. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.46 million copies as of December 2009. The enterprise employed over 1,600 workers and gross income reached $40...
- Indian National League is not a recognized party by ECI, so Nawaz was listed as an Independent, rather than under the INL banner in the election ballots.
Acharapakkam (SC)
Source: The HinduThe Hindu
The Hindu is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Chennai since 1878. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.46 million copies as of December 2009. The enterprise employed over 1,600 workers and gross income reached $40...
The MDMK, did not contest this seat, instead supported the PMK candidate, which also got the support of DMK and BJP.
Sathankulam
Source: ECIElection was necessitated due to death of S.S. Mani Nadar.