Is DMDK’s future in flux post-Vijayakanth?

CHENNAI: It was September 14, 2005. ‘Captain’ Vijayakanth launched his political party called Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) with an agenda of eradicating corruption in the state.

Vijayakanth, after MGR, is the only actor who could achieve a measure of success in politics. Immediately after a year of launching a party, Vijayakanth contested the 2006 election on his own and secured 8.38 per cent votes and he won in PMK’s heartland Vriddhachalam. Later in 2009, the vote share of the party increased to 10 per cent, and in 2011, Vijayakant allied with the then-Opposition AIADMK and emerged as the second largest party in the Assembly, trouncing the DMK to a distant third spot. However, after 2011, the party started facing a downfall until the 2021 Assembly elections.

Now, with the demise of Vijayakanth, the future of the party is a big question among the poll pundits and party cadre.

After 2016, when Vijayakant’s health deteriorated, his wife Premalatha started taking important party-related decisions. Premalatha was appointed as DMDK treasurer in October 2018 and her younger brother LK Sudhish handled the party affairs in the 2019 and 2021 polls. Premalatha’s wrong decisions are the reasons for the party’s series of failures, some insiders told DT Next.

Speaking about the future of Premalatha-led DMDK, senior journalist and writer V Narayanan (Maalan) said that the coming days will be a challenging one for the party.

“Since 2016, DMDK faced defeat in all the elections it has faced. The party’s strike rate is so low that it cannot bargain for more seats in an alliance. Competing alone is tantamount to suicide...With the death of Vijayakanth, it is doubtful whether the present cadre who are there for him will continue in the party. Premalatha may be on the rebuilding plan by bringing her son into the party. But, it will not have any effect,” Maalan opined.

Political commentator and publisher Badri Seshadri said the DMDK will vanish. “There will be no change at the ground level as Premalatha has come to the leading position in the party. DMDK only operates on the charisma of a single person named Vijayakant. With his demise, his supporters will soon leave the party. Without a cadre and active second-rung leaders, Premalatha cannot lead well. There is a chance to form an alliance and contest for a few seats. But, lack of credibility means more chances of vanishing. The end of DMDK has begun,” he added.

However, political observer B Srikumar exuding hope, said that there are chances that the situation will change in the future and Premalatha’s leadership will bring DMDK back into the limelight. “Just as Jayalalithaa had harnessed MGR’s charisma, Premalatha will use Vijayakanth's charisma. Beyond poll victories, the party will have a chance in politics by grassroots work. The situation may change in the future and her leadership could revive the party,” he said.