Chennai, Dec 8 (IANS): Tamil Nadu's ruling AIADMK’s candidate P.Saroja trounced her DMK rival V. Maran by a huge margin of 78,116 votes in the Yercaud assembly bye-election, said officials said Sunday.

Retaining the seat in the state assembly, the AIADMK logged the fourth consecutive bypoll victory since it came to power in May 2011.

According to the Election Commission polling data, Saroja secured 142,771 votes as against Maran’s 64,655 votes.

Of the total 214,406 votes polled in the election, 4,431 voters opted for 'None of the Above' (NOTA) option expressing their displeasure at all the 11 candidates in the fray in the by-election held Dec 4.

Assured of her candidate's victory, Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa earlier said the result reflected people's backing to her government.

Addressing the assembled people at her home here, Jayalalithaa thanked party cadres for the victory. AIADMK supporters burst fire crackers and distributed sweets at the party headquarters here.

Later in a statement issued here, Jayalalithaa urged the party cadres to work like this for the ensuing general elections so that the party wins in all the constituencies it contests.

The election in the hill station, around 360 km from here, was necessitated after sitting AIADMK legislator C. Perumal died in July, bringing down the party's strength in the 235-member assembly to 150. Saroja is Perumal's widow.

The AIADMK won all three earlier by-elections -- in Pudukottai, Sankarankoil and Tiruchirapalli (West) constituencies.