VILLUPURAM: With the Lok Sabha poll results having stumped many political parties at the Centre and the State, the Pattali Makkal Katchi also has to introspect on why it lost all the seven seats it fought, especially one of its strongholds, Villupuram.
PMK’s candidate Vadivel Ravanan lost by 1,28,018 votes to VCK’s Ravikumar. The results show VCK gaining foothold in Villupuram while PMK supporters drifting away from the party. PMK supporters and cadre have their own reasons why the party was defeated in its home turf.A party cadre from Tindivanam said that PMK’s alliance with AIADMK was not received well by all cadre.
K Sugumar, another party cadre from Kooteripattu told Express, “For the past nine years, our party was led independently by Dr Ramadoss who had strongly opposed the Dravidian parties. So PMK joining the AIADMK alliance was disappointing. Our lands were grabbed for the Salem eight-lane highway project. So how can we digest this coalition?”
Apart from the alliance, what disturbed the people was the increased hatred the party allegedly spread against Dalits.
A former PMK worker’s wife belonging to Dalit community from Anathur in Viluppuram told Express, “My husband had worked for PMK for over 20 years. But, in a recent caste conflict, dominant community members who are also PMK members broke into houses and damaged properties. Despite a PMK name-board hanging in front of our house, the mob ravaged our home too. So what ideologies are the party adhering to? Since that conflict, my husband stopped being active in the party affairs. We decided to support VCK as it is the only party that works for Dalits’ welfare.