CHENNAI: Even as leaders of major political parties talk of victory in the current Assembly elections, at the grassroots it is a mix of anxiety and hope, as exit polls have given a split verdict.
A few exit polls suggest an advantage for the opposition alliance, while others point to either a close contest or to favour the incumbent DMK. This has created confusion among party workers at the ground level. Many cadres said the mixed predictions have increased suspense, and they are now waiting for the counting day with “fingers crossed”, even as senior leaders have asked them to stay calm and confident.
Former MLA and AIADMK’s Madurai North candidate P Saravanan said he believes the AIADMK alliance will form the government. He told TNIE that one of the exit polls, CNN, had predicted a win for the alliance, and he trusts its past record. He also claimed that on polling day, many voters came to AIADMK help desks to check their names, which he saw as a sign of support.
Similarly, former minister and AIADMK’s Kalasapakkam candidate SS Krishnamoorthy expressed confidence that the party will return to power. He said there was no strong wave in favour of DMK and no anger against the AIADMK. He added that the high turnout, even in hot weather, showed that people wanted change.
However, not all cadres share this confidence. Some second-level leaders have raised concerns, especially about the possible impact of TVK.
One of the chief agents of the AIADMK candidate from the delta region said, at first, leaders did not take TVK seriously. But after exit polls suggested that TVK could get around 20% vote share, worries began to grow about vote splitting.
Another AIADMK functionary from a southern district said cadres were hopeful before the exit polls. “After seeing the predictions about TVK’s vote share, many of us became unsure. We do not know whose votes have been split and how it will affect us,” he said.
In contrast, cadres of the MDMK and left parties appear less worried. Since they are contesting only a few seats, they said the final result depends mainly on the performance of their alliance leader, DMK. They added that the DMK leadership has been confident about victory even before the exit polls.
CPM politburo member K Balakrishnan optimistic about a victory for the DMK alliance. “Though several opinion polls have been released, all of them indicate that BJP has no place in Tamil Nadu. The Secular Progressive Alliance will win again and DMK will form the government,” he said.
“Vijay may have support among the youth, but it is not possible for him to win or form a government,” he added.
However, he faulted the DMK government on employment and job security. “The government that will be formed after the elections should not function like the previous DMK regime. Unemployment among youth has gone up, and there is a trend of employing contract workers without providing job security. This should not continue,” he said.