CHENNAI: AIADMK’s decision to boycott the Vikravandi bypoll seems to have had little effect on the ground as the voter turnout of 82.48% recorded on Wednesday was higher than the 82.45% polling recorded in the seat in the 2021 election.
After the principal opposition party announced its decision to boycott the by-election alleging possible repeat of ‘irregularities’ committed by the ruling DMK in the Erode East by-election held earlier this year, senior party leader D Jayakumar asserted that AIADMK cadre too will boycott the bypoll.
As voices seeking rapprochement between the warring factions of the AIADMK have reached a feverish pitch with general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami facing unprecedented pressure from his own supporters to relent, the voting choice of the AIADMK supporters in Vikravandi may be a bellwether for the party’s political course.
The poll outcome in the triangular contest between DMK candidate Anniyur Siva, PMK’s C Anbumani, who is contesting with the support of the BJP, and Naam Tamilar Katchi’s K Abinaya may also be a test case for the success or failure of the BJP’s outreach to woo AIADMK cadre.
After AIADMK’s boycott announcement, NTK leader Seeman made a fervent plea to AIADMK and DMDK voters to vote for NTK candidate. Similarly, PMK leaders also tried to woo AIADMK cadre saying DMK is the common enemy. Thus the high turnout has now triggered a debate about which party got the AIADMK votes in the seat.
Senior journalist T Sigamani said candidates of DMK, PMK and NTK may have all cornered a certain percentage of AIADMK votes. “NTK candidates may have got votes of youth more than others,” he said.
Asked whether the high voter turnout in Vikravandi indicated that the AIADMK cadre have ignored the boycott call given by Palaniswami, political analyst Tharasu Shyam told TNIE, “The polling percentage and results of by-elections have no relevance to the Assembly elections.
In 2015, the DMK boycotted the bypoll to RK Nagar Assembly constituency in which former CM J Jayalalithaa contested. Polling percentage stood at 75% in that poll. That did not mean that the DMK cadre ignored the boycott call of the party. In Vikravandi, too, we cannot conclude that the AIADMK cadre have ignored EPS call.”
A senior AIADMK functionary said, “The AIADMK general secretary did not issue any orders to the party cadre. He just said the party is staying away from the bypoll. There are many reasons for voters to vote in a by-poll. Only when a party asks voters not to vote for a party and if the percentage goes up, it can be regarded as cadre ignoring the call.”
K Boopalan (45), a lawyer from Vikravandi, told TNIE, “The votes that would go to AIADMK will move to DMK because AIADMK supporters would not want the NDA alliance (PMK) to win. The other reason is BJP chief K Annamalai spewing hatred against EPS. There is very little chance that a staunch AIADMK voter would support PMK because of caste affiliation.”
Senior journalist Durai Karuna said very rarely opposition parties win a by-election since the ruling party will contest the by-poll with all its might. “Only a unified AIADMK can face the DMK at the hustings comfortably in the 2026 Assembly election.”
(With inputs from Krithika Srinivasan @ Villupuram)