The DMK has not looked back in north Tamil Nadu since its massive victory in the Assembly election nine months ago. That’s the message one got on Tuesday when the results of the urban local bodies elections were declared.
After the drubbing it received in the region in last year’s Assembly elections, the AIADMK failed to put up a decent show in Chennai and its surroundings in the civic polls. The PMK, too, was unable to come up with any creditable performance in the northern belt which has a significant percentage of Vanniyar voters.
According to politicians and observers, the DMK’s “good governance” in the last nine months had made it easy for the Secular Progressive Alliance’s candidates in the northern districts. The relatively short period meant there was no chance for an anti-incumbency wave despite the repeated flooding of Chennai. It also meant the DMK government machinery ensured that the work at the ground level reached people through the media.
Villupuram Member of Parliament D. Ravikumar said, “The secular alliance floated by the DMK during the 2019 Lok Sabha election continues, and it has been well received even at the grassroots. This is a natural alliance and the alliance partners also share the same ideology on various issues, including social justice. People have accepted this alliance,” he said.
Stating that the victory of the DMK in the urban local bodies polls was a vote for good governance as the party had delivered on its promises, he felt the “negative campaign” of AIADMK co-coordinator Edappadi K. Palaniswami had led to the party’s dismal performance.
“His comment ‘one nation, one election’ had revealed his intention and affiliation, which backfired,” a political observer said. “Also, the AIADMK is seen as a party of two [dominant] castes — Gounders and Mukkulathors — and the north is dominated by the Vanniyars. With the PMK, a party that grew up on Vanniyar vote, going it alone, the AIADMK had very little chance of winning in the north,” he said.
Panruti MLA and Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi (TVK) leader T. Velmurugan said the DMK-led front’s landslide victory was not just a validation of the government’s development-oriented policies and the alliance strength but also a rejection of the anti-people policies and misrule of the AIADMK in 10 years.
“People have reposed faith in the DMK regime and have voted for good governance. This shows the confidence they have in the DMK. The TVK, which contested on the DMK symbol, emerged victorious in 15 wards, including three wards in the Cuddalore corporation,” he said.
Apart from the caste factor, the AIADMK leaders feel they lacked the financial power to emerge victorious. M. Moothi, treasurer, AIADMK, Vellore Urban, said, “Two factors contributed to our loss, especially in the Vellore corporation. First, both Mr. Palaniswami and [coordinator] O. Panneerselvam are not cadre-centric as they meet only party functionaries at the district level. So they fail to read the pulse of cadre. Second, except in the western region, candidates in other areas like Vellore were starved of election funds. They were no financial support from the leadership.”
The fact that the previous AIADMK government failed to conduct urban local bodies polls for a full five years meant the party’s second- and third-line leaders did not get a chance to get elected to the local bodies, and some felt there was a disconnect with the voters. Run by the officials, municipal administration was controlled by the then Minister S.P. Velumani.
With the DMK securing a landslide victory in the Greater Chennai Corporation, though it could not get a full score as desired by its local strongman and Minister P.K. Sekarbabu, the question now is who will be the Chennai Mayor, a post reserved for woman belonging to the Scheduled Caste.
