Chennai: Counting has begun in Tamil Nadu and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is leading in 36 seats out of 38.

Chennai Central constituency is facing a battle between DMK’s Dayanidhi Maran and Pattali Makkal Katchi debutant Sam Paul. Dayanidhi Maran has secured 44,843 votes while the PMK candidate has secured 17,633.

Apart from these two parties, Naam Tamilar Katchi has managed to get 3029 votes, while the Makkal Needhi Maiam has secured 10, 725 votes. AMMK has garnered 1896 votes. 

The NOTA in the region stands at 1568.

Also read: Tamil Nadu election results: Predictions point to DMK's victory; AIADMK sits on edge

Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) candidate Anbumani Ramadoss is leading in the Dharmapuri constituency with 4518 votes. The votes that Anbumani has secured stands at 14,849 while the DMK candidate Senthil Kumar has only managed to secure 10,331 votes at the end of the first round. 

At a time when the DMK and AIADMK along with their respective allies are in a nail biting race, Puducherry, interestingly, sees over 3200 votes in Puducherry.  If we take a look at the bypolls, DMK leads in 12 seats, while the AIADMK stands at 10.

12 constituencies of Thiruvarur, Thanjavur, Ambur, Thiruporur, Ottapidaram, Mayiladudurai, etc. see the DMK ahead.  The ruling AIADMK leading in Saathur, Andipatti, Sulur, Manamadhurai, Sholinghur.

Senthil Balaji who jumped ship from AMMK to DMK, is leading in Aravakurichi constituency with 5102 votes.  DMK is leading in Salem Lok Sabha constituency. The DMK candidate secured 4336 postal ballot votes while AIADMK candidate KRS Saravanan has got 2146.

Deputy chief minister of the state O Panneerselvam’s son Ravindranath Kumar is leading in Theni Lok Sabha constituency. DMK is leading in 29 seats out of 31 Lok Sabha constituencies.

DMK’s Kanimozhi leads in Thoothukudi and has garnered 80,100 votes whereas BJP state president Tamilisai Soundararajan has managed to secure 27,020 votes. 
Kanimozhi is leading by a margin of 53,080 votes in the region.

Congress candidate P Karti Chidambaram has taken the lead with 21,967 votes in Sivaganga Lok Sabha constituency while BJP candidate H Raja is trailing with 8321 votes after Round 1.

The exit polls have predicted that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam alliance with the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance may have an edge over the AIADMK alliance with BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.

Some of the key constituencies are Kanyakumari, Thoothukudi, Chennai Central, Sivagangai, Dharmapuri.

Also read: Lok Sabha election results: Suspense in three southern states

In Chennai Central, three-time winner Dayanidhi Maran is pitted against debutant from Pattali Makkal Katchi Sam Paul. Kameela Nasser, also a first-time candidate representing Kamal Haasan’s party Makkal Needhi Maiam will also be contesting from the area.

If the exit polls are to go by, then the UPA may win majority of the 39 seats in Tamil Nadu with DMK in the forefront. The Times Now-VMR survey suggested that the UPA will get around 29 seats of the 39 Parliamentary seats in the state.

The BJP-led NDA, where the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is a major ally, is only expected to get about nine seats.

According to the CNN News18-IPSOS survey, the DMK alliance would get anywhere between 22-24 seats while the AIADMK alliance would walk away with 14-16 seats.