: Five BJP Lok Sabha candidates in Tamil Nadu, including Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan appeared set for a crushing defeat with the victory margins crossing a lakh of votes in four segments and nearing that mark in one constituency.
Congress candidate and millionaire business man H Vasanthakumar pushed Pon Radhakrishnan to second spot in Kanyakumari constituency by a massive margin of 2,46,136 votes.
Kumar, who owns a popular consumer durable retail chain in Tamil Nadu, had declared a total asset of Rs 412 crore in his nomination papers.
Radhakrishnan had won from Kanyakumari in the 2014 LS polls, defeating his nearest rival Vasanthakumar by 1,28,662 votes.
Tamil Nadu BJP's articulate chief Tamilisai Soundararajan too is set to bite the dust in the port city of Tuticorin since the margin between her and the DMK candidate Kanimozhi has jumped to over 3,39,000 votes.
Senior leader H Raja, known for his controversial remarks is behind Congress candidate and son of P Chdiambaram by a margin of 2,87,416 ballots in Sivaganga constituency.
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In Coimbatore, senior BJP leader C P Radhakrishnan was trailing CPI(M)'s P R Natarajan by 1,76,603 votes.
BJP's Nainar Nagenthran appears to end up as runner up in Ramanathapuram and the margin -lowest when compared with his other party colleagues- is 81,945 votes.
The saffron party in alliance with the ruling AIADMK took forward its campaign by betting on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and the Central schemes that has benefitted Tamil Nadu.
Projects like the AIIMS Hospital in Ramanathapuram and a slew of infrastructure initiatives were also touted as proof of BJP's committment towards development.
The BJP's poll propaganda apparently has not cut ice with the electorate and the consistent campaign led by the DMK and other parties, including the Left outfits on a host of issues -over the years- against Modi has seemingly dented the saffron party's prospects in Tamil Nadu.