The Dravidian major DMK is sweating it out in the sweltering electoral field at Sankarankoil against its formidable rival AIADMK. DMK has reasons to worry. The presence of many more Dravidian outfits that were born in the last decade has effectively expanded the battle of the ballot box into a bitter contest not only to win but also for the runner-up position, which as political analysts point out, even the DMK cannot escape.
There may be a cacophony of noises blaring out of the arena but the shrillest ones come when DMK and AIADMK slam each other. While chief minister Jayalalithaa singled out DMK for an all out attack and ignored all other parties during her campaign, DMK led by its treasurer M K Stalin chose to disregard barbs from DMDK and MDMK. He targets only AIADMK for its acts of commission and omission.
DMK’s problems are compounded by MDMK and DMDK, which are contesting here just to redeem their lost ‘self-esteem.’ “They are well aware that their chances of winning are remote for Vaiko and Vijayakanth, the bypoll turns out to be a prestige affair,” observes M. Murugesan, a jeweller in politically-sensitive Sankarankoil.
The exit door shown to the parties by AIADMK — one during the 2011 alliance talks and another after polls — has irked both parties. Vaiko, whose native Kalingappatti falls in the constituency, has resorted to village-to-village campaign seeking people’s mandate at least for a ‘single seat representation’ in the Assembly. He puts it across in a subtle manner that he was made to believe he was in the alliance and was betrayed in the last minute when parleys were held with AIADMK.
When Jayalalithaa threw down the gauntlet on the Assembly floor, DMDK and its leader Vijayakanth had no choice but to pick it up. He too tells the people that he was ‘betrayed.’