Stage is set for the ‘mother of all battles’ in Tamil Nadu. Both the DMK and the AIADMK, the two main protagonists, announced the names of candidates and constituencies from where the parties would lock horns for controlling the State as well as the Centre.
Voters in Tamil Nadu will decide on April 18 which political formation should rule not only the country but also the fate of the Edappady Palaniswamy government in the State. This is because the by-polls to be held on the same day to 18 assembly constituencies is crucial as well as critical for both the AIADMK and the DMK.
There are two more fonts in the State in addition to the two fronts led by the traditional rivals, the AADMK and the DMK. The AMMK led by TTV Dhinakaran (who was eased out of the AIADMK along with his aunt and former Jayalaluthaa aide V K Sasikala) and film actor-turned politician Kamal Haasan too are in the fray in all the constituencies. While the AMMK is having an electoral alliance with the SDPI, an Islamic extremist outfit, the Makkal Neethi Maiam of Kamal Haasan is fighting all the 39 seats on its own.
Though Tamil Nadu will see four-cornered contests in all the 39 Lok Sabha constituencies and the 18 assembly by-polls (this may go up to 21 by-polls as the apex court would decide by this weekend the pleas by the opposition DMK to conduct the by-polls in three more vacant seats which are enmeshed in legal imbroglio), the main fight would be between the fronts led by the AIADMK and the DMK.
The AIADMK leadership had shown that it is no different from the DMK in dynasty and family politics. The list of AIADMK candidates include P Raveendranatha Kumar (son of deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam) , Manoj Pandian (son of former Speaker Paul Pandian) and VVR Rajan Sathyan (son of Madirai MLA Rajan Chellappa) who will contest from Theni and Madurai respectively. J Jayavardhan, who is seeking re-election from Chennai South is the son of AIADMK senior minister D Jayakumar.
Interestingly, only six of sitting 37 MPs who won the 2014 Lok Sabha election have been re-nominated to contest this time. The party leadership has brought in the old war horses like KP Munusamy and Agri SS Krishnamurthi to take on the challenge posed by the breakaway AMMK faction.
While the AMMK is sure to erode the strength of AIADMK in some of the constituencies dominated by the Thevar community ( the community to which Dhinakaran, Sasikala belong), what type of damage the MNM would cause is yet to be seen. Kamal Haasan, who prefers to be addressed as Ulaga Nayakan (Global Hero) is yet to declare the ideology of the party though it has seen many leaders making an exit.
The AMMK would contest from 38 constituencies in the State leaving one seat to the SDPI. “It is certain that the AMMK and the MNM would end up as also ran in this battle. These parties are unlikely to make any impact in this election . The DMK is having an overall advantage in this election ,” said Sam Rajappa, veteran commentator.
But T Ramakrisnan, author and columnist is of the view that one should not underestimate the AIADMK led front. “TTV Dhinakaran will pose problems. But Eda Palaniswamy and Panneerselvam are seasoned politicians who are capable of springing surprises. This is an open match in spite of the fact that DMK-led front has a slight edge,” said Ramakrishnan.