DMK Quietly Dismantles Celebration Tents as Early Trends Show It Sliding to Third

Tents came down fast as officials faced harsh numbers

Chennai’s DMK headquarters fell into a sombre mood as early counting trends for the 234-seat Tamil Nadu Assembly election put the party in a distant third place. At Anna Arivalayam, celebratory tents and arrangements were dismantled shortly after initial leads emerged. By the time of reporting, TVK led 111 seats and AIADMK 72, leaving DMK at 51.