Tamil Nadu by-poll results: DMK leading on 10, AIADMK 6

Initial trends for 16 assembly seats in Tamil Nadu shows that DMK is leading on 10 seats and ruling AIADMK on six. The ruling AIADMK faction needs to win nine seats of the 22 bypoll seats to continue in the power.

The ruling AIADMK has 113 members (excluding the Speaker) in a total of 213 seats, and its rival DMK-led alliance has 97 MLAs, including eight from the Congress and one from the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). TTV Dhinakaran is the lone MLA of AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran. With the new 22 members, the half way mark has gone up to 117.

The Edappadi K Planiswami-led AIADMK government could consider itself safe if it manages to win 10 seats. Of the 113 members, the loyalty of at least five were said to be with the Dhinakaran group and the Assembly Speaker has moved a notice against four of them, seeking cause not to disqualify them. 

Stalin has to win at least 21 seats to dislodge the present government.