Vote share difference does not back PMK founder’s position

On average, the AIADMK polled just over 4,000 votes more than the PMK

PMK founder S. Ramadoss’s recent criticism of his allies for having violated “alliance dharma” during the 2021 Assembly election may not be particularly valid if the vote share of the party and the AIADMK-led coalition in select crucial districts is any indication. He had said that the party should have won in at least 15 seats, but its allies did it in.

Even at the macro level, the difference between the average votes polled by the AIADMK and those of the PMK is not very wide. The former got 1,53,91,055 votes in 191 constituencies, with an average of 80,581 votes per constituency. On the other hand, the PMK, which was allotted 23 seats, netted 17,58,774 votes, securing 76,468 votes on an average in every constituency it contested. The margin of difference between the AIADMK’s figure and that of the PMK was about 4,000 votes, which was understandable, given the strengths and weaknesses of the two parties.

The alliance also consisted of the BJP, which lagged behind its allies. The national party’s average was about 60,684 votes, nearly 20,000 votes short of what the AIADMK had polled per constituency.