Despite some highs, Vijayakanth would be remembered as an actor who  failed to make an impact in politics

Vijayakanth, popularly known as Karuppu MGR (the black MGR) and poor man’s Rajinikanth, rose to fame as an actor in low-budget Tamil movies. Though he had a string of successes, movie makers were not confident in betting on him as a minimum-guarantee actor.He earned the goodwill of the people through social work and charity. The Desiya Mupporkku Dravida Kazhakam (DMDK for short) was launched by Vijayakanth in 2005 at a time when the Tamil electorate was waiting for a refreshing change from the DMK and the AIADMK, with which they were frustrated. Vijayakanth offered the voters a corruption-free and development-oriented government under him. Though the DMDK had contested from all the 234 assembly constituencies, the only person to get elected from the party was Vijayakanth, his first foray into the assembly.

The DMDK managed to mobilize 8.38 per cent of popular votes and there was a feeling that Vijayakanth could be the third alternative the people were waiting for.

A section of the political pundits termed the reduction in the number of seats won by the AIADMK and the DMK as a result of DMDK cutting into the traditional vote share. The DMDK increased its vote share in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls to 10 per cent though the party drew a blank in the scoreboard. Leaders like Panrutti Ramachandran who was in political wilderness following his ouster from the AIADMK had joined Vijayakanth and advised him to forge an alliance with Jayalalithaa. In the 2011 assembly election, the DMDK emerged as the second largest party after the AIADMK winning 29 seats. The DMK lost the race for the post of Leader of Opposition. Had Vijayakanth restricted his tantrums and loose speeches in the assembly, it was almost certain that he would have occupied the prime position in Tamil Nadu politics. But it was not to be like that. Vijayakanth ridiculed Jayalalithaa when she hiked the power tariff as well as the price of milk sold by the State Government.

Within a fortnight more than 15 members of the 29-member DMDK crossed over to the AIADMK and sat as a separate block. In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, the DMDK cast its lots with the NDA. The AIADMK swept the polls by winning 37 of the 39 seats leaving one each to the BJP and the PMK. The husband-wife team earned a big appreciation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the industrious and hard campaign done by them across the State.When it was time for the 2016 assembly polls, Vijayakanth made yet another faux pas by joining hands with Thol Thirumavalavan (VCK, a Harijan outfit) and Vaiko’s MDMK. The Thirumavalavan and Vaiko declared that Vijayakanth would be the Front’s chief minister candidate.

He lost the election and forfeited his deposit while his party failed to win even a single seat. Vijayakanth understood that theatrics alone would not help him to win elections. The political grapevine is that Vaiko and Thirumavalavan had a hearty laugh after the results were announced! The results of the 2016 election took a heavy toll on the health of Vijayakanth and his public appearances became rare. Vijayakanth was not his old self and had lost coherence in speech and way of thinking. What his life tells the world is that politics is a different game and one should have an inherent passion for the game of power play. M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa who made it to the top from the world of celluloid had learnt a lot about politics before venturing out to this uncertain terrain. Tamil Nadu people will remember Vijayakanth as the king of tragedy who failed to make an impact in politics. The only consolation for his fans is that there are no other political leaders in the present generation in Tamil Nadu who would create pangs of separation as Vijayakanth.

(The writer is special correspondent The Pioneer; views are personal)