Vijayakant’s ‘silence’ leaves DMDK workers listless

‘Poll results should have been a wake-up call’

Vijayakant

At a time when the BJP and the DMK are competing to take on the AIADMK without Jayalalithaa as Chief Minister, the DMDK, the principal Opposition party in the State, appears to have got into a shell.

The “absence” of the actor-turned-politician Vijayakant from the city, with no communication to the cadre from the leadership, has added to the listlessness in the DMDK, party sources here said.

While one section of the party workers say the ‘Captain’ is abroad for a film shooting, a DMDK district secretary, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said there was growing uneasiness in the ranks owing to the “inertia” of the leadership.

Mr. Vijayakanth restricted himself to occasional statements on several major political and economic issues that cropped up in the past month, the sources said.

“Look at the BJP. A party that was nowhere in the State till last year is hogging the media limelight. It is announcing protests, and the entire leadership is on the ground. This has not happened in the DMDK,” said the senior leader.

Party leaders feel the Lok Sabha election results should have served as a major wake-up call. The DMDK, which contested 14 seats, drew a blank, and its vote share plunged to 5.1 per cent.

The party got an opportunity to regain its image after the conviction of AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa in the disproportionate assets case.

“The DMDK is the only major party without corruption charges. Both the DMK and the AIADMK are in legal troubles. Many of us feel that this is the time to go to the people and leverage our advantage,” the senior leader pointed out. But the DMK, the BJP and the PMK were the ones attacking the AIADMK government on issues such as the milk price increase.

Campaign to meet people

However, defending the leadership, a DMDK MLA said the party would launch a full-fledged campaign to meet the people. Mr. Vijayakant was expected to return to India before the start of the Assembly session on December 4.

“We will take an aggressive stand in the Assembly. You will see that the session will revolve round us,” he said.