Acid test for BJP, DMDK to assert position in the state

While the DMDK is at a critical situation to prove its strength and as the third major party in state, BJP wants to increase its percentage and presence this time to prove the party’s growth graph. In the assembly polls in May this year, the BJP secured 2.84 per cent votes, while DMDK managed to get 2.39 per cent votes individually. The total votes polled by the PWF was 6.05 per cent and the PMK, which faced the elections alone secured 5.32 per cent.

Ramesh, a political observer from Thanjavur, says, “While both the AIADMK and DMK leaving no stone unturned to secure victory in the three assembly seats which will go to polls on November 19, there is an indirect war under way between the DMDK and BJP as both want to show their presence in the state and secure more votes than the previous election. Such a performance will be a demonstration of their growth in the state and also as the third major party, that is alternative to the Dravidian majors.”

DMDK was launched by the actor turned politician Vijaykant with the slogan of alternative to both Dravidian majors in 2005 and in 2006 election the party proved to be a force to reckon with after it secured 27.64 lakh votes, in other words more than 10 per cent of the total votes polled. 

Later, the party aligned with the AIADMK in 2011 with an objective to defeat the then ruling DMK and it worked. Vijayakant’s party secured 7.8 per cent votes and its 28 candidates won the election. The victory brought along with it another major elevation to the party, that is it became the main opposition in the Assembly. However, there was a slowdown in the party’s growth after that and the high command opted to align with PWF. But, aligning with the PWF turned out to be a major setback for the DMDK which made a poor show getting just 2.39 per cent votes. 

“This is a crucial election for the DMDK and it has opted to go it alone like in 2006,” S Shanmuganathan, a political observer in Tiruchy said. 

However, the BJP which has been ruling in the centre had secured 2.84 per cent individually in 2016 election against 2.2 per cent it got in the 2011 election. This was a proof of the fact that the party has been growing individually in the state. And now the national party is keen on increasing its vote share. With the slogan of ‘bridging the gap between Centre and State’, the BJP candidates are fielded and the state president Tamilisai Soundarajan has been campaigning for the party candidates. Out of three constituencies, Aravakurichi and Thanjavur are in delta and the farmers have been staging series of protests condemning the Centre’s stand on CMB formation.