AMMK fading away after Dhinakaran’s LS poll debacle, feel cadre

CHENNAI: Seven-year-old Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK), a breakaway of the AIADMK, is fading away from the political landscape of Tamil Nadu. From securing over 8 per cent votes by contesting in 38 seats in Lok Sabha polls in 2019, its vote share reduced to less than 2.4 per cent in the Assembly polls in 2021.Now it has been reduced to an insignificant political outfit, as its performance in the just concluded parliamentary election did not augur well.

Party founder and leader Dhinakaran registered an impressive victory in the bypoll for Dr Radhakrishna Nagar Assembly segment, which was vacant after the demise of then chief minister J Jayalilathaa. He won the election against all odds, giving an embarrassing defeat to the ruling party’s candidate E Madhusudhanan and then chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and deputy CM O Panneerselvam. It was the last victory in the electoral front for the once blue-eyed boy of the AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa.

In fact, the former MP of Periyakulam (now merged with Theni constituency) in Thevar belt came out of political oblivion, from his expulsion in 2011, after the demise of Jayalalithaa.

The AMMK fielded candidates in 38 constituencies in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, while giving a seat to the Social Democratic Party of India (DSPI). His party garnered a little over 8.46 per cent (9,08,163) votes, but it failed to replicate its performance in the following Assembly polls. Dhinakaran formed People’s Front along with DMDK, AIMIM and SDPI and fielded candidates in 165 seats, while its allies contested from the rest of the seats. Except playing spoilsport for the AIADMK in close to 20 seats, the party’s performance was inconsequential as it cast less than 3 per cent votes, not even close to halfway mark of its performance in 2019 LS polls.

Cutting to 18th Parliament elections, Dhinakaran’s AMMK found solace in two seats in the BJP-led NDA. Dhinakaran overtly said that he asked for one seat, but they (BJP) gave two - Theni and Tiruchy. The remarks exposed his weak position with no cadre base, though he got the “Cooker” symbol without any trouble.

“Once he was promising and beaming with confidence, but he did not invest his time and resources on building the party and taking his supporters along. Many of his supporters left after the Assembly polls, seeing no political future. Now, it has been reduced to a letterpad party,” said a former AMMK functionary from Ramanathapuram constituency, preferring anonymity.

Pointing out to the poll outcome in Theni constituency, the functionary said Dhinakaran fielded Thanga Tamilselvan in 2014 in the same constituency and faced defeat. Tamilselvan, who joined the DMK along with Senthilbalaji, defeated him with a margin of over 2.7 lakh votes in Thevar belt. “The election results indicate Dhinakaran may be a popular face of the Mukkulathor community in state politics, but not a force in the electoral front,” said a loyalist of Dhinakaran on condition of anonymity.

The AMMK leader, according to a well-informed source in the party, has limited political options to remain relevant in the changing dynamics of state politics. New players are expected to jump into the fray in the coming elections, the best bet for him is to reconnect with the AIADMK. But, it does not happen in the remote future.

“The AMMK still have a say in the Thevar belt,” said Tharasu Shaym and pointed out Dhinkaran secured 25 per cent vote in Theni and it has vote banks in Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga, Virudhunagar constituencies, where the party secured over a lakh votes in each constituency in 2019 polls.

AMMK election wing secretary and former MLA N Parthiban rejected the claims that the party was reduced to “letterpad party” and said that the party is growing and building its cadre base. “Victory and defeat in politics is common. We will emerge as a strong political force in the coming years and dispel everyone’s wrong prediction,” he said.