“Captain” Vijaykanth, the leader of opposition for the past five years in the state assembly, has executed a neat U-turn and dropped a mini political bomb in Tamil Nadu.
The Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam chief had earlier announced that his party planned to contest the 2016 state assembly polls alone, but news filtered out that he had firmed up an alliance with the the People’s Welfare Front.
By 10 am, the DMDK’s office in Koyambedu, Chennai, was awash with the leaders of the PWF, million watt smiles and bouquets.
Vijaykanth had agreed to contest 124 seats out of 234, it was revealed, and had also been nominated the chief ministerial candidature for the alliance.
Vijaykanth did not speak to waiting reporters. A press statement issued on the DMDK letterhead and signed by all four leaders of the PWF simply stated: “The DMDK will fight the 2016 Assembly elections along with the PWF.”
Alternative front?
The PWF is a self-proclaimed alternative front to the two main Dravidian parties in the state. The front comprises Vaiko, leader of the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Thol Thirumavalavan, former Lok Sabha MP and leader of Dalit party Viduthalai Siruthaigal Katchi, along with the two Left parties.
Over the past few months, Vijaykanth had kept all political parties like the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Bharatiya Janata Party guessing, as they desperately wooed him. Barely two week ago, he had announced at a party event that his party would go it alone in the upcoming polls in May.
The DMK, whose chief M Karunanidhi, had even until two days ago, sent out messages inviting Vijaykanth to an alliance, is now worried, although the party chose to put on a brave face.
“Any alliance is the prerogative of each party and leader,” said KS Radhakrishnan, DMK spokesperson. “But the pulse of the people is important. People are unhappy with the government and political parties should see which side will be most practical to join. Voters who want change will prefer the DMK,” he said.
Political hawks feel that this new combination will not affect the existing political order much, except to give a slight leg up to Jayalalithaa’s All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the ruling party in the state.
“This is a big boost for Vijaykanth, no doubt,” said political commentator Aazhi Senthilnathan. “But I don’t see how this will help the PWF. Vijaykanth is an extension of the existing politics of the Dravidian parties. I don’t think Vijaykanth will make a big difference to PWF. This is almost an insult to those who have practiced [alternative] politics for decades, like Vaiko and Left parties. Vijaykanth has been given a huge recognition, which I am not sure is warranted. How Vijaykanth will be the alternative is not known. It is a big boost for Vijaykanth as he is now the chief ministerial candidate for the first time,” he said.
Heated electoral battled
With this combination, political watchers say a heated electoral battle is brewing in the northern districts of the state. This is a region where the predominant castes are Vanniyars (Most Backward Class) and Scheduled Caste Dalits. Vijaykanth’s primary vote-bank, say experts, consists of a section of Vanniyars and Dalits. His party won 29 seats with 7.88% vote-share in 2011, on the back of an alliance with the AIADMK.
With the AIADMK, the DMK and Ramadoss’ Pattali Makkal Katchi also vying for votes in the northern districts, the battle is multi-pronged and likely to come down to tight margins, say experts.
“No doubt it is advantage Jayalalithaa now,” said Aazhi Senthilnathan, political commentator. “It could have been advantage DMK but now the cadre is demoralised. They have been led to believe they will win only if Vijaykanth is on board. Today they are in a defeatist mindset. But I feel everybody has overestimated Vijaykanth. It is still a DMK versus AIADMK election,” he added.
The ruling AIADMK is thrilled at the latest developments. “Thank you, Captain – you have made victory easier for us,” laughed a senior AIADMK leader who spoke on condition of anonymity. “Amma’s great work for the welfare of the state has been well received by the people. We are on the victory path and Amma will become Chief Minister once again,” he added confidently.
Perhaps the biggest blow was to the BJP, a party with little presence in Tamil Nadu, which was hoping to cash in on the “alternative” plank by luring Vijaykanth. The party is putting a brave face on it with state BJP leaders repeatedly saying that they are ready to battle all 234 constituencies alone, if required. As the BJP gets increasingly isolated in the state, the battle for 2016 is predominantly being fought between home grown parties, with little interest in the national parties.
