In Tamil Nadu, Dravidian majors (parties) are getting ready yet again to contest in the local body elections of the nine newly carved districts in the state. The face-off would be in the next crucial election immediately after the Assembly polls held in April. Local body elections form the third level of elections in India after the parliament and assembly elections. The political parties will compete for local body posts in Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Vellore, Tirupathur, Ranipet, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Tirunelveli and Tenkasi.
In this regard, AIADMK wants to bounce back after a crushing defeat. And, DMK wants to continue its momentum gained in the assembly election and bag as many seats as it can.
On June 22, a Supreme Court Vacation Bench of Justice Hemant Gupta and Justice Aniruddha Bose directed the Tamil Nadu State Election Commission to conduct the local body elections in the nine new districts and to declare results before September 15.
The order from the Apex court said, “We grant an extension of time to complete the entire election process, including publication/notification of election schedule and the result thereof before September 15, 2021, as the constitutional mandate to conduct elections in a time-bound manner.”
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The nine new districts in TN were carved out from existing four districts. The elections to their local bodies were to be held before December 2019 after completion of the delimitation process, for which they have now been given an extension. Political parties in the state have already started preparations. On Monday, DMK already held district secretary-level meetings at the party state headquarters in which Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin participated.
In the Monday-meeting, Stalin exhorted the party district secretaries to chalk out a plan. He intended and asserted that the DMK alliance should win all the seats, giving no room for the opposition. DMK’s alliance partner is Congress. The grand old party of India is keen that its differences with the Dravidian party at the grass-root levels should be ironed out and they should get maximum seats to contest.
State Congress chief KS Alagiri stated, “Congress has performed extremely well in the recent Assembly elections and we expect at least 10% of the total seats in the local body polls to be allocated to us to contest the polls.” However, sources in the DMK stated that Congress does not have grass-root machinery and organization in the state. The source added that DMK would consider providing the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, a movement predominant with Dalit cadres more seats in the ensuing elections. It is because the VCK have a good grass-root presence in these districts.
After losing power in the assembly election, the AIADMK is on a sticky wicket. The arrival of former interim general secretary VK Sasikala pitching her claims to lead the party has made the situation trickier. Both senior leaders, K Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam have put up a brave front in this situation. But, there are resentments at the grass-root levels as Sasikala tries to remain relevant by releasing audio clippings of her conversation with the AIADMK cadres in various parts of the state on a daily basis.
Another party Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) was floated by Sasikala’s nephew TTV Dhinakaran. AIADMK is worried that Dhinakaran’s AMMK will create problems by eating into its vote share.
Paattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) is a party in alliance with the AIADMK. On July 16 1989, PMK was founded by S. Ramadoss, a social activist. AIADMK and the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) together fought the 2021 Assembly elections in the State, after a gap of 20 years. In the last Assembly elections of 2016, the PMK fought alone. It had lost all the seats. In 2001, PMK was part of the AIADMK alliance. That year, it had contested in 27 seats and won 20. Both the AIADMK and PMK were part of a grand alliance in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. That alliance included BJP as well.
AIADMK has dismissed its spokesperson Pugazhendhi for having been vocally critical of PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss. But the party cadres in AIADMK do not feel that the PMK leadership has that bonhomie with the AIADMK. The cadres also feel that there are several differences of opinion at the grass-root level between the PMK and AIADMK leadership, both at the micro and macro levels.
A senior leader of AIADMK from Northern Tamil Nadu on the conditions of anonymity stated, “If PMK does not support us in north Tamil Nadu, then it will be curtains and I do not think that the issues between the AIADMK and the PMK at several places of the state have died down. We have to immediately reach a solution to this vexing problem or we will face the music in the local body polls.”
Another issue confronts the AIADMK. The issue pertains to the BJP state president L Murugan. He has made it known that the alliance with the Dravidian party was only for the Assembly polls and that things are open now. This has led to an atmosphere of discomfort in the AIADMK leadership and among the cadres. BJP is not a big force to reckon with in Tamil Nadu. But, it cannot be ignored that the saffron party has pockets of influence. This could in turn create problems for the AIADMK at the grass-root levels if things are not sorted out.
(With inputs from IANS)
