While both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the major national parties, suffered a drubbing in the local body elections in Tamil Nadu, the BJP can feel comparatively better off because it could at least secure chairmanship of two municipalities — Nagercoil and Mettupalayam.
The Congress is passing through probably the worst period in its history in the State after the mauling it received in the elections to the State Assembly in May this year in which it could manage only five of the 63 seats contested despite being in alliance with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).
After losing power to DMK-led alliance in the State in 1967, it started losing its sheen gradually. And after the demise of its charismatic leader K.Kamaraj in 1975, it started riding piggyback on regional parties such as the DMK and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) .
Congress sources, requesting anonymity, admit that even the mayorship of two corporations —Tiruchi and Coimbatore — which they had won in the 2006 elections was because of the “alliance politics and the local adjustments”. Besides, it was indirect elections for the mayor and also the chairmanship of the municipalities then. According to the results announced at 9.30 p.m, the Congress has failed to win even one of the mayor posts though it contested for the stewardship of all the 10 municipal corporations in the State. Its performance even at the corporation councillor level was very poor. But the most galling was that it fared very poorly in the elections for the chairmanship of the municipalities also.
It could not win even one of the 123 municipalities for which results have been announced so far. Similarly of the 534 corporation wards for which results have been announced, it could secure only 15 and of the 3,641 municipal wards it could manage only 162. Congress could get some consolation from the results of the Town Panchayats wherein it could secure 24 of the 523 posts of chairman. While it has drawn a blank with regard to district panchayat wards so far (of the 11 declared), it has won only 70 of the 1984 panchayat union wards. Thus, in total, its tally is just 647 of the total 14,762 posts for which results have been declared.
BJP general secretary Muralidhara Rao himself admitted on Friday that his party had to struggle because of the “highly regionalised” politics in Tamil Nadu. This time, it could win only four corporation wards, 38 municipal wards, chairmanship of 13 town panchayats, 181 town panchayat wards, one district panchayat ward and 23 wards of the panchayat unions. In total it has won 262 of the total 14,762 posts for which results have been declared.
Keywords: Tamil Nadu local body polls, AIADMK landslide, Congress, BJP
Analysis is wrong coz BJP and Congress votebank cant be compared as Congress was claiming sometime bck it had 15-20% in TN which is now shattered moreover it couldnt win even Single Municipal Charimanship whereas BJP which doesnt have anybase at all ha won 2 which proves its improving though not drastically.I dont know hw much big force BJP wud become in TN but INC is decimated in TN and it cant getup come what may.
BJP ' s future in Tamil Nadu is getting brighter. Soon they will be a force in 10-20 years time. BJP should tie up with like minded parties like MDMK. Great PMK and Congress got wiped out!!
Drubbing of Congress along with BJP can't be compared since BJP's political base is almost irrelavant in TN. In fact BJP shall be happy to get at least couple of muncipality along with handful of town panchayat is in their kitty. Congress once ruling party of the state and the so called third largest political party in TN base has completly eroded. Some serious introspection of Congress high command and enforcing party incharge who does not understand the ground reality of TN shall be avoided so that any future blushes can be avoided. Congress is left with Leaders without party workers in TN. This being the reality. In fact any parliament election is held without alliance not even single person can be elected for Lok Sabha. Without adequate MLA's Rajya Sabha MP post is also a distant dream.
BJP is coming up in Tamil Nadu as well. It is a matter of time, say 10 years, they will be a major party in Tamil Nadu.
Congress could win only three Municipal Chairman Post in Mayavaram( Mayiladudurai) ,
Sri Rangam and Trichy in the local body elections held immediately after 1967 General
Elections. Despite the support of Rajaji , campaign by Thuglak' Editor Cho. Ramasamy and
the wide coverage given by " The Hindu " the Congress ( O ) under the leadership the
Selfless leader Kamaraj could win only 27 MLA seats and the Nagercoil Lok Sabha Seat.
The Congress ( R ) in alliance with DMK did not contest even a single seat for the
Assembly and won in 10 Lok Sabha Seats . After merger in 1975 congress won 27 seats in
Assembly in the 1977 election on it's own. Had the party continued to contest on it's own in
all subsequent elections the party could have at least secured 20 per cent votes . One
good thing the party is still alive and kicking in Rural areas because of the Congress Men
who could win the elections without any alliance unlike the Leaders who manage to get
Nominated to party posts or as candidate
Don't club the Congress and the BJP together in Tamil Nadu, where the BJP has never been a significant player. But the Congress getting such a drubbing is very significant. The Congress leadership in New Delhi, especially Sonoa Gandhi,should see the writing on the wall which is really ominous for the party at the national level,
What else can the Congress party expect , when TNCC leadership have degraded the status of Satyamurthy Bhavan into an extension counter of Anna Arivalayam and when AICC leaders have also consistently abdicated their responsibility to deal with an iron hand, factionalism in TNCC ? While BJP has no strong presence in Tamilnadu historically, the Congress party steadily lost its identity as a national party in the state, due to dearth of leaders with the stature of those who ruled it till 1967.
I think BJP fared better then Congress. Grabbing Nagercoil is well known but grabbing METTUPALAYAM Municipality from Congress by a margin of over 2000 votes shows that BJP has some support in Western Belt also.. It's a long way to go but a good beginning for BJP and also MDMK at least..
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