VIKRAVANDI/CHENNA: With a margin of over 44,000 votes, Muthamilselvan of the ruling party had a comfortable victory over his DMK rival Pughazhendhi. The bypoll was necessitated following the death of DMK MLA Radhamani in June. While Radhamani had won by a margin of 3.87% in 2016, Muthamilselvan now has a margin of 23.8%, which is five times higher.
DMK was quick to claim the grapes were sour. “They won with money power, not through democracy,” claimed Pughazhendhi. The sentiment was echoed by party strongman Durai Murugan. Interestingly, Durai Murugan was recently in the news, during the Lok Sabha polls, as unaccounted cash was seized from his and his loyalist’s homes.
However, caste and cash did play a role in this election, especially in areas such as Kaanai, Vikravandi and Asur blocks. “Be it by-election or Assembly polls, the alliance of regional parties and candidate’s caste identity are vital and that is how it has been for all these years,” says G Rajendran (55) from Asur. However, AIADMK chairman Baskar dismissed the cash-for-vote allegation as baseless.
“It is a clear victory as people want the AIADMK’s rule to continue. We have fulfilled most of their needs and many schemes have been implemented without bias.”
Is PMK the secret of success?
The size of the winning margin suggests PMK is still a force to reckon with in these areas. The party cadre feel they played a decisive role in this battle and thus, expect better bargaining power while sitting down to share seats in the upcoming local body polls. Their assumption is not without logic.
In 2016, when the PMK fought without an alliance, the DMK won the seat with a margin of mere 6,912 votes. The AIADMK, which came second, secured 56,845 votes and the PMK came a close third with 41,428 votes. The combined tally of the AIADMK and PMK in the 2016 Assembly polls comes closer to the AIADMK’s tally in the current by-election (1,13,766).
AK Moorthi, former union minister and PMK state functionary, said, “We have given a fitting lesson to the DMK. They tried to cheat our Vanniyar community. They even put up posters claiming that Stalin is the guardian of the three crore Vanniyars. Vanniyars have rejected the DMK and the community people even from other parties have accepted our call to support the AIADMK.” It is a victory for the PMK though it was not in the fray, Moorthy said. This thought has enthused all PMK cadre who take the entire credit for this victory.
PMK’s loss?
Political analyst Raveenthran Duraisamy said, “PMK may demand a higher share of seats in local body polls. But the AIADMK will not give more than 20%. PMK can’t switch over to DMK-led alliance. It has compulsion to remain with the AIADMK.”
44,924
victory margin for AIADMK candidate in Vikravandi bypoll