The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : What do poll results mean to the Opposition?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 19, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

What do poll results mean to the Opposition?

V. Jayanth

More bonding needed for the alliance

CHENNAI: The constituents of the Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA), led by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), have a lot of soul-searching to do on the outcome of the two Assembly byelections. In an initial response, most of the DPA leaders have dubbed it a "victory for money and muscle power," accusing the ruling party of "misusing the official machinery." But obviously, there is a lot more to do before they get set for the major test in the regular Assembly elections due next year.

Some of the DPA leaders, who are in New Delhi for the first anniversary celebrations of the Manmohan Singh Government, in which they are partners, will have occasion to share their view with the Congress and other party leaders there. It is obviously a subject of interest to the alliance, which had an enviable victory of 39 out of 39 seats in the Parliamentary elections just a year ago. So what went wrong and why did the alliance arithmetic not work in its favour this time are the basic questions agitating the minds of the DMK functionaries.

`Complacency'

At least informally, DMK seniors concede that complacency was one of the major reasons for the reversal of fortunes. Though all the DPA leaders campaigned for the DMK candidates in both Kancheepuram and Gummidipoondi, and the cadres were involved in fieldwork, it probably "did not jell." The constituents of the DPA perhaps took the result for granted and did not put their best foot forward. "They were distracted and overwhelmed by the poll code violations and the money and muscle power that was in evidence in the opposite camp," explains one of the party functionaries who was in the coordination committee for Gummidipoondi.

The DMK functionaries are convinced that the people in these two constituencies just wilted under the "pressure and lure of the ruling party." They argue that Finance Minister C. Ponnaiyan headed the AIADMK campaign in Kancheepuram and Revenue Minister O. Paneerselvam led the team for Gummidipoondi. There was nothing that they could not get done for the "benefit of the voters."

DPA's second rung leaders at least are convinced that the ruling party cannot possibly "replicate its campaign in the byelection on a State-wide scale in a full-fledged Assembly election, as every Minister and candidate will be fully engrossed in his or her constituency." They feel that the bureaucracy and the police "will be much more neutral and objective" in a general election than in a byelection.

Coordination panels

But, there is also the realisation that something needs to be done and quickly too. One of the suggestions thrown up is to go in for coordination committees at the district level to start with and then the constituency level, closer to the elections. Unless the local alliance leaders and cadres come together, bond well and work as a team, it is going to be difficult. And the ruling party has got a boost with these two wins. There is so much more at stake for it in the regular elections. But that is little comfort for the DPA.

The issues thrown up in the Parliamentary election and a poll for the Assembly are entirely different and the recent elections have shown that people do not vote only on the basis of caste. There is time for the DPA partners to review the scenario, bond together, focus on issues and not on possible Cabinet berths.

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