CHENNAI: Though the DMK managed to win 29 reserved Assembly seats out of 46, the party’s efforts to please the Arunthathiyar community in the Kongu region have failed again as it won only four reserved seats in the region while the AIADMK won nine seats there comfortably owing to non-Dalits’ support.
During the last two Assembly elections, the DMK had struggled to get a strong foothold in the Kongu region. The issue worsened when Edappadi K Palaniswami from the community became the Chief Minister. Following this, DMK appointed a deputy general secretary from the Arunthathiyar community that predominantly reside beside caste Hindus in the region. It also offered a Rajya Sabha seat to Anthiyur Selvaraj, a member of the community.
Further, the DMK maintained a cordial relationship with Arunthathiyar outfit Adi Tamilar Peravai (ATP) and took part in their conference. The Dravidian major also did not miss an opportunity to recall that it was former CM M Karunanidhi who provided three per cent internal reservation to Arunthathiyars within the SC quota. The DMK then allotted one Assembly poll ticket, Avinashi constituency, to ATP. The outfit president, Athiyaman, contested in the seat under the rising sun symbol. Even after all this, the party failed to get a decent number of seats in the region.
Veteran journalist T Koodalarasan attributes the AIADMK performance to the party’s influence among the caste Hindus in the area. At the same time, the AIADMK-BJP’s claim of granting Devendra Kula Vellalar title to seven sub-sects also helped the NDA alliance here, though it did not help them much in the central or south constituencies. In the South, the DMK-led alliance bagged 12 seats while the AIADMK won only two seats – Nilakkottai and Srivillipudhur.
Seats under the belt
DMK: Rasipuram, Dharapuram, Senthamangalam, Krishnarayapuram
AIADMK: Uthangarai, Harur, Gangavalli, Athur, Yercaud, Gudalur, Avinashi, Bhavanisagar and Valparai