The Tamil Nadu Assembly election, which saw less rhetoric and more cash-flow, carries the highest stakes in the recent political history of Tamil Nadu. If winning a record sixth term is important to DMK chief M. Karunanidhi to ensure a smooth transition of leadership to his long-waiting prince, Mr M.K. Stalin, the stakes have risen sharply after the 2G scam threatened to swallow his daughter, party MP Kanimozhi. He can ill afford losing this vote-count.
It is equally crucial for AIADMK leader J. Jayalalithaa to win and keep her flock together and in good spirits since the party has been tasting setbacks since the 2004 Lok Sabha polls.
She might have breathed easier had she retained trusted ally Vaiko in her camp but the coming of the DMDK’s Vijayakanth provided some advantage. As for Captain, his party cannot afford to fail badly as he has already slipped from his pedestal of being the ultimate chief ministerial option.
Almost all local exit polls have predicted a victory for the AIADMK while one said the DMK has a slight edge over its arch rival. The majority of these polls also said the fight was very close.
Though he slammed the Election Commission for holding the election so early, on April 13, as it lessened campaign time, Mr Karunanidhi should now be thankful for the unintended “mercy” as it could have been a washout for his party had polling taken place after the CBI filed its supplementary chargesheet implicating Ms Kanimozhi in the 2G case.
Interestingly, the BJP did some spirited campaigning, importing national leaders and picking up new issues, such as alleged Sri Lankan war crimes and the killing of Tamil Nadu fishermen. The BJP score could hurt the AIADMK in some constituencies which have a significant brahmin/urban middle class presence.