CHENNAI: The principal opposition, AIADMK, has been routed in the urban local body polls elections. The party which won around 6,800 urban local body seats in 2011 — almost 50 per cent of the combined rural and urban seats of 20,606 — may end up with just around 15 per cent seats in the present urban poll held across the State. The defeat may be seen as a failure of the dual leadership of O Panneerselvam and Edappadi K Palaniswami, and they may face a tough time in keeping the party intact.
A total of 12,838 seats for 21 city Corporations, 138 municipalities and 489 town panchayats went to polls on Saturday. According to the figures as of 11 pm, the AIADMK has won 164 councillor posts in municipal corporations (11.94 per cent); 638 councillor posts in municipalities (16.60 per cent), and 1,206 councillor posts in town panchayats (15.82 per cent).
This second big defeat comes just five months after the party lost badly in the rural local body elections held for nine districts last October. What makes the defeat even more telling for the party is its comprehensive loss in the western Kongu belt of the State, particularly Coimbatore, which was traditionally considered the party’s stronghold. The AIADMK has also been defeated in Salem, the native district of former CM Edappadi K Palaniswami. The party had lost even in the ward where the former CM’s residence is located in. In Theni, the home district of Panneerselvam, the party lost all key urban local bodies to the DMK alliance.
Unlike the rural local body elections in October, Panneerselvam and Palaniswami worked hard in the current polls and campaigned across the State. Their poll pitch, however, did not yield expected results. Reacting to the results, Panneerselvam said, “The results are on expected lines. The ruling DMK has got an artificial victory. Had the elections been held in a free and fair manner, the AIADMK would have registered a massive win. This election is not the reflection of people’s minds.”
However, political analyst Tharasu Shyam is of the view that the results show that the AIADMK needs course correction. “If it is not done immediately, the party may face exodus since Panneerselvam and Palaniswami had miserably failed to prove their mettle in two successive elections. The DMK has made inroads into all constituencies of senior AIADMK functionaries and former ministers. So, this defeat will demoralize the cadre.”
How the cookie crumbled
Political observers attributed DMK’s success to a good public response to the performance of Stalin’s government. Within nine months of coming to power following decades of wait, Stalin claims to have fulfilled most of the party’s poll promises and revived many of his father M Karunanidhi’s initiatives.