An analysis of the track record of AIADMK since 1977 election, the first general election fought by the party, shows that the upcoming election is the first one in which the party has decided to contest in all the ten constituencies in Madurai district.
The data show that until 2011, the maximum number of seats AIADMK contested in Madurai was during the 1977 and 2006 elections, when it fought in eight of the ten constituencies, while the remaining two were given to allies.
Traditionally, except for 2011, the party has given at least two of the constituencies in Madurai city to allies. Similarly, the party has contested from Tirumangalam and Usilampatti in only four of the nine general elections since 1977.
Despite deciding to contest in all the ten constituencies, the party, for the first time, has also decided surprisingly to go with first-timers in nine of the ten constituencies.
Two old-timers
In contrast, since 1977, every general election fought by AIADMK had at least two old-timers as contestants.
The data show that out of the 60 candidates the party had fielded in all the nine general elections since 1977 in Madurai district, nearly one-fourth were old-timers.
Lost
The maximum number of old-timers was fielded in 1996 when three of the seven contestants in the district were incumbent MLAs, although the party lost miserably in all the seven constituencies in the election.
Three of the eight AIADMK candidates in the 1977 elections – ‘Sedapatti’ R. Muthiah, K. Kalimuthu and A.M. Paramasivan – went on to contest in subsequent elections. Six others have contested at least in two elections for the party in Madurai.
The record for contesting maximum number of times from AIADMK in Madurai district goes to Mr. ‘Sedapatti’ Muthiah, who contested in six elections between 1977 and 1996 and won four times, before his expulsion from the party in 1999.
The other person who comes close is former Assembly Speaker late K. Kalimuthu, who contested four times in 1977, 1980, 1984 and 2001 and won.
While A.M. Paramasivan contested in three elections, others like P.S. Manian, C. Durairaj, A.K. Bose and R. Samy contested in two elections.
