nThe landslide win scored by the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance in Tamil Nadu is being projected as the outcome of the strong anti-Narendra Modi wave prevailing in the State and the failure of the BJP to counter this narrative.
Though there were expectations all over Tamil Nadu that the split in the ruling AIADMK would jeopardise the dreams of Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswamy and his deputy O Panneerselvam, a cursory glance at the Lok Sabha results show that TTV Dhinakaran, nephew of the jailed VK Sasikala (former close aide to J Jatyalalithaa) has not made any impact in the polls.
All the candidates fielded by Dhinakaran under the AMMK banner forfeited their security deposits as they could garner the minimum vote share of 16.66 per cent of the total votes polled in any the constituency. Dhinakaran’s candidates could poll just 5.2 per cent of the votes in this Lok Sabha election.
“The results prove that the AIADMK has not been weakened because of the exit of Dhinakaran and Sasikala from the party. We are confident that the cadre who followed Dhinakaran would come back to the AIADMK,” S Semmalai, founding leader of the AIADMK and former minister told The Pioneer on Saturday.
He said the DMK-led front won through negative campaigning. “M K Stalin gave an impression that Rahul Gandhi would soon be appointed as the Prime Minister . The people if Tamil Nadu were carried away by the promise of Rs 6,000 per month financial package offered by the Congress. The DMK in its election manifesto declared that it would write off all educational loans and agriculture loans,” pointed out Semmalai.
Thanga Tamilselvam; deputy to Dhinakaran, said that the results were not in tune with the ground realities. “People in the State felt that it would be better of they voted for the DMK-Congress alliance. This is not a vote for the Congress,” said Tamilselvan.
Along with Dhinakaran, future of two more ‘budding” parties too were sealed in this election. Makkal Neethi Meiam, launched by film actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan ended up polling 3.72 per cent of the votes and forfeiting security deposits in all the constituencies it ad contested. “I am not disappointed with the results. We are the winners of tomorrow,” said the actor while speaking to reporters after the results were announced. Kamal Haassan is yet to publicize the ideology of his party.
But C Rajasekhar , former Congress leader and one of the founding members of MNM, who left the party soon after it was launched told this newspaper that Hassan would be a failure as a politician.
Semmalai blamed the open interference of religious leaders, particularly those belonging to the minority communities, in the election campaign. “The spread the news that minority communities were not safe under the BJP. This led to the consolidation of the minority sections,” said Semmalai.
Meanwhile, Saturday saw the DMK candidates who got elected to the Lok Sabha polls and by-polls paying obeisance at the mausoleum of late M Karunanidhi at the Marina Beach. Stalin led the newly elected MPs and MLAs in paying floral tributes at the memorial where some of the MPs broke down and started sobbing uncontrollably.