MADURAI: In an attempt to breach the last bastion of Dravidian parties' hold in south Tamil Nadu, PMK is keen on making a display in the image change of having a strong base in the Vanniyar-dominated northern and western districts of the State.
Taking it as a peculiar challenge, knowing that the vote bank in the southern region is low, intact where DMK and AIADMK have a stronghold in capturing vanniyar votes, PMK drastically fielded it's candidate in Dindigul trusting the vote transfer from AIADMK and DMDK in the constituency.
After its inception in 1989, the PMK contested in 1989 Lok Sabha general election and it's candidate K Raithinasamy secured 7,579 votes, which is 1.17% from the total vote turnout.
Thereafter in 91 and 96 general elections, the PMK candidate P Gopal who contested in mango symbol secured 7194 (1.16%) and 10986 (1.58 %) respectively.
Interestingly in 2011 assembly election in DMK collation, PMK had secured second place by obtaining 32.35 % votes where the vote turnout is 76 per cent in Dindigul assembly constituency. Whereas in 2016 assembly elections, PMK secured only 2718 votes at a vote share of 1.47%
Gambling its real strength, PMK has to lean on AIADMK which has a constant of 37% vote bank in the constituency in the upcoming election. Further, in the last assembly and Lok Sabha polls, DMDK had garnered a substantial vote bank in Dindigul.
in 2014, Lok Sabha elections, DMDK had secured 93,794 votes with an 8.66% vote share and had third place. voter turn out 77.38 %. In 2009, DMDK secured 12.28% votes where the voter turn out was 75.58%
Trying to change the template, PMK which has a vote share of 5.4% in the State, acquired from the vanniyar dominated districts, is keen in making an image of portraying it as a party for all over the State and as a step to break the name that the PMK belongs exclusively to the north and the western districts and to withstand a scenario that PMK is not a region- based party.
Taking a milage of extending it's support to the various protest that held in the past in Southern districts including Jallikattu protests, Neutrino project, fishermen issue and Thoothukudi protest, the outreach of PMK in southern region is expected to boost the stability of AIADMK party which contests only in three seats in the entire Southern region.
Almost after 2009 general elections, PMK faces DMK directly in six constituencies including in Dindigul for the first time. However, facing DMK in its strong fold, where the majority mix up of voters belong to vellalar gounders, dalits and vanniyar, is not going to be an easy play board for PMK.
DMK which has a solid vote bank of 36 to 39 percentage and Congress in its alliance will give a bottleneck situation to PMK as the majority of the vanniar votes in the constituency is retained by DMK.
The file facts of previous clashes between DMDK and PMK in the region could also dent the PMK vote bank. Whether PMK's move to command influence in the southern districts is evidently only on the support of its allies. 'Maatram Munnetram' (Change and Development) the early tag of Anbumani, precisely fits now for Dindigul, where 'Maatram', the change of approach by ally parties towards PMK, will make PMK 'Munnetram' develop in the Southern part.