Tamil Nadu Lok Sabha election: Hard-bargainer PMK draws a nought, again

CHENNAI: In the three-cornered contest in Tamil Nadu, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) has only managed to secure third position in 8 of the 10 constituencies it had contested and a fourth place in one constituency.

After playing its cards with both AIADMK and BJP before finally going with the BJP-led NDA at the eleventh hour, PMK has failed to win in any of the constituencies in the 2024 LS polls, like it did in 2019.

Even though party's Dharmapuri candidate and PMK president Anbumani's wife Sowmiya Anbumani instilled some hope by leading the count during the early rounds of counting, she could only manage to come second after DMK's A Mani.

The party had performed abysmally in Kallakurichi, where the PMK candidate came fourth behind Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) candidate.

Ironically, the AIADMK alliance that waited for long to seal a partnership in PMK in vain has come second place in 9 constituencies in PMK contested constituencies except Dharmapuri. Vote counts suggest that there could have been a fighting chance if the Mango party joined hands with the two-leaves party.

In 2014, PMK contested in 8 constituencies as a part of NDA only to party president Anbumani Ramadoss win in Dharmapuri.

AIADMK was not a part of NDA as it contested alone. In the 2019 LS polls, PMK contested in 7 constituencies, again as part of the NDA alliance that included AIADMK. But won none.

Expressing disappointment over the loss and thanking the voters, who voted for his party, PMK founder S Ramadoss said that he felt a trend against DMK before the election but the ruling alliance won due to several reasons.

"PMK is accepting the mandate given by the people. PMK will continuously work towards getting the trust of people. Beyond election results, PMK has been fighting for the welfare of the people. This will continue, " he said in a statement.

Wishing prime minister Narendra Modi for making the NDA to claim for the third regime, Ramadoss supported NDA.