DMK working president M.K. Stalin on Sunday sought to downplay the result of the R.K. Nagar bypoll, describing it as a “Himalayan defeat” for the Election Commission rather than his own party. His comments came even as party spokesperson T.K.S. Elangovan admitted that the result was a blow to the DMK.
Ever since the date for the byelection was announced, Mr. Stalin had been insisting that his party would win the contest hands down, and that neither the ruling AIADMK candidate, E. Madhusudanan, nor T.T.V. Dhinakaran would be in a position to even retain their deposits. The result, though, has revealed the prevalence of an entirely different mood on the ground, as it was DMK candidate Marudu Ganesh who ended up losing his deposit.
Downplaying his party’s defeat, Mr. Stalin said, “It would be appropriate to say that it is a Himalayan defeat for the Election Commission and not for the DMK candidate. Even after the High Court issued directions, money was distributed in a ‘hawala manner’ and the EC officials and the police remained mute spectators.”
The EC did not even lift its finger against money distribution, he said, adding that the 24,651 votes polled by Mr. Marudu Ganesh had proved that the people still had faith in democracy, even in such a “bleak atmosphere”.
‘Cash not the only factor’
However, Dravida Iyakka Tamilar Peravai leader Suba. Veerapandian, a DMK sympathiser, said money was merely one of the many factors that had secured the first place for Mr. Dhinakaran.
“I did not expect the DMK to win, especially when the constituency polled over 77% of votes. I was under the impression that it would get the second place. What is more worrying is the drastic fall in the DMK’s vote share. It would not have happened because of money distribution alone. There are other factors that have contributed to the present scenario, and they are dangerous,” Mr. Veerapandian told The Hindu.
He felt Mr. Dhinakaran’s personality and the BJP’s attempt to deprive him of political legitimacy worked in the dissident leader’s favour. “He handled every crisis with equanimity. The BJP ensured that he did not get the ‘Two Leaves’ symbol and that it went to the ruling AIADMK. The people have watched the developments and have voted for him,” he claimed.
‘Plug loopholes’
Though Mr. Veerapandian disagreed with the contention that the outcome of the bypoll reflected poorly on the DMK leadership, he added that the image of the party would take a beating.
Admitting that the defeat came as a blow to the DMK, party spokesperson T.K.S. Elangovan said it now needed to plug loopholes in its strategy. “I would not say that it will lead to a crisis in the party. The political factors made us believe that we would win the election and that others would lose their deposit. But cash distribution by both groups did us in. It [R.K. Nagar] is a constituency that did not get basic facilities all these years. Still, the people have voted for someone who cannot do anything even in the future,” he said.
Responding to the claim that the DMK had a tacit understanding with Mr. Dhinakaran, in that his victory could trigger a crisis in the ruling AIADMK, Mr. Elangovan said it was a completely baseless allegation. “We did not have such a strategy in our mind. It would be suicidal for us. How can we afford to miss our place in the constituency?” he asked.
Mr. Elangovan, who represents the North Chennai constituency in the Lok Sabha, said R.K. Nagar had never been a DMK bastion.
“Since 1977, the DMK has represented the constituency only for seven years. Had we lost in Royapuram or Thiruvottiyur or some other constituency, it would have been a matter of concern,” he said.
