Dinakaran takes early lead in R.K.Nagar by-poll (Lead)

Chennai Dec 24 (IANS) Sidelined AIADMK leader T.T.V.Dinakaran on Sunday took an early lead in the by-election for the Radhakrishnan Nagar (R.K.Nagar) constituency that fell vacant after the death of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa.

Meanwhile supporters of both AIADMK and Dinakaran clashed inside a hall in the Queen Mary s College here where the vote count of the by-election that took place on December 21 was ongoing. According to reports the AIADMK agents inside the hall started an argument with Dinakaran s supporters following the news of his early lead. Dinakaran is contesting the by-poll as an Independent candidate. He was followed by AIADMK s E.Madhusudhanan and DMK s N.Marudhu Ganesh. At the end of the second round of vote counting Dinakaran has got 10 421 votes Madhusudhanan 4 521 and Ganesh 2 383. The by-poll was necessitated following the death of AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa on December 5 2016 who represented the seat. --IANS vj/ksk