SALEM: All eyes will be on Edappadi, a quaint town 55 km from Salem city, which has become a VVIP constituency from where incumbent Chief Minister K Palaniswami will be seeking mandate for yet another term. Vanniyars are a majority in the constituency. Edappadi has been AIADMK’s stronghold ever since former chief minister MG Ramachandran founded the party.
People handed victory to AIADMK candidates in 1977, 1980, 1989, 1991, 2011 and in 2016. Palaniswami has won four times - 1989, 1991, 2011 and 2016. He lost in 1996 to Pattali Makkal Katchi candidate. DMK won here twice - in 1967 and 1971. PMK won in Edappadi three times – 1996, 2001 and 2006. Except in 1996 when PMK contested alone, the party secured victory in Edappadi once, each in AIADMK and DMK alliance. In 2001, PMK was in the AIADMK alliance.
In 2006, PMK was with the DMK and the party’s V Kaveri bettered Palaniswami by over 7,000 votes. In 1996, PMK benefitted from the anti-government wave that swept across the State. Edappadi was one of the four seats PMK won that year. In 2011, Palaniswami defeated PMK which was in the DMK alliance. In 2016, PMK contested alone but managed the second place with 56,681 votes and DMK was pushed to third place. Palaniswami won securing 98,703 votes. The difference between AIADMK and PMK was 42,022 votes.
Given AIADMK’s track record, the criticism that Palaniswami carved out reservation of 10.5 per cent for Vanniyars to win over the community appears to be tad unreasonable. Paattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), which represents Vanniyars, allying with the AIADMK, nevertheless, has brightened Palaniswami’s victory prospects. AIADMK functionaries are confident that Palaniswami will win by a big margin again. “We expect our CM candidate will secure around two lakh votes i.e., nearly 70 per cent votes. Last time. AIADMK secured 98,703 votes and PMK 56,681 votes.
We will easily get 1.55 lakh votes,” they said. PMK functionaries feel Chief Minister K Palniswami’s announcement of 10.5 per cent reservation for Vanniyars will have a huge impact on his victory. “Palaniswami will win easily and remaining candidates will lose deposit,” they said. Political analyst Ravindran Duraisamy opined that Palaniswami would win in Edappadi irrespective of PMK’s support as not all Vanniyars are likely to be in the party.
“AIADMK could not muster victory in 2019 Lok Sabha elections even when PMK allied with them. However, the 10.5 per cent reservation for Vanniyars will definitely help Palaniswami win the Edappadi assembly constituency. In other words, the PMK will not help Palaniswami in Edappadi but Vanniyars will,” he said.
DMK leaders, however, have a different take. DMK west district in-charge and former minister TM Selvaganapathy said, “AIADMK leaders may claim anything, but ground reality is different. The DMK will win in Edappadi constituency.”
Thevars against Vanniyar quota
Tenkasi: People from Thevar community in Irumankulam village of Sankarankovil Assembly segment threatened to boycott the elections unless the 10.5 per cent internal reservation sanctioned for the Vanniyars is withdrawn. They installed black flags outside their homes as a mark of protest. The protesters alleged that the move will snatch away the job and educational opportunities of others in the MBC list.
VVIP constituency
Vanniyars are in large numbers in Edappadi. Besides, people from SCs, Chettiar, Vellala Gounder and Mudaliar communities also are a sizeable votebank
SNAKES & LADDERS
AIADMK: 1977, 1980, 1989, 1991, 2011 and 2016. Palaniswami won in 1989, 1991, 2011 and 2016
PMK: 1996, 2001 and 2006
DMK: 1967 and 1971