CHENNAI: He lost from a reserved constituency and nothing would be more painful than this for Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) president Thol Thirumavalavan. The Dalit leader lost by a mere 87 votes to AIADMK’s N Murugumaran from Kattumannarkoil.
Despite forming 20 per cent of the state’s population, which should ideally influence the politics, Dalits in Tamil Nadu have always struggled to get their due and Thirumavalavan, the face of one of the largest Dalit parties in the state, losing the elections does not bode well. In the 2011 elections, his party lost in both the seats it contested. When he won, it was in the DMK alliance. But it did not last long as he quit the position in 2004.
While AIADMK candidate Murugumaran survived anti-incumbency to edge out the star contestant, the three- cornered contest had an impact in the constituency. The third candidate in the fray was K L Manirathinem of the Congress, a popular businessman.
Thirumavalavan will turn 54 soon and has been active in politics for over a-decade-and-a-half now. Only time will tell if the poll results would be the final nail on his political career.