Civic polls to be test of strength for EPS, TTV camps

The Madras High Court’s warning comes as a rude jolt to the ruling AIADMK which had passed a legislation in the Assembly extending the tenure of special officers for the local body elections till January. The AIADMK had already begun the Parliament election campaign and it is certain to look at all legal avenues to block the civic body elections. If no legal avenue is found, the state government is likely to schedule the local body polls in September this year. 

Despite the DMK losing its deposit in the RK Nagar by-poll last year, the ruling AIADMK and the supporters of RK Nagar legislator TTV Dhinakaran see the principal opposition DMK as their only rival regardless of the political plunge taken by actors Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan.

The party leaders say the local body elections involve tedious planning and campaigning at the grass roots level for over 12,500 rural local bodies and over 650 urban bodies, besides the wards within those civic bodies. Besides, the local popularity of candidates and organisational network hold the key for the outcome of civic polls which will be fought at the micro level. Although, elections in rural bodies are not fought along party lines, party functionaries used to contest them in various symbols, they pointed out. 

Actor Rajinikanth had stated that he would not fight the local body elections. Dhinakaran had filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking a separate symbol for his party till the ‘Two Leaves’ case is decided. The apex court which ordered the Delhi High Court to come out with an early judgment in the ‘Two Leaves’ case had also asked the AMMK to approach the court for a symbol whenever an election is notified. Dhinakaran’s party is likely to approach the court for ‘Pressure Cooker’ symbol if there was no verdict in the ‘Two Leaves’ case till the civic polls are notified. 

Unlike the by-poll when the ruling party has the advantage of focusing on a small area with their resources, money and muscle power, the local body elections are held throughout the state and the vote bank, besides the organisational strength of all the parties, including the minor ones comes into play.