Even as the birth centenary of the founder of the AIADMK and former Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran (MGR) is being celebrated (on Tuesday), the debate among political and academic circles continues on how the party has been able to maintain its vote share and even increase it despite the passage of nearly 30 years since the death of MGR.
The answer to this lies in the party’s continued adherence to welfare policies and retention of the support of women, Dalits and the poor, besides the inability of anyone from other political parties to emerge as a “counter magnetic force” to the AIADMK, say politicians and observers.
Panruti S. Ramachandran, who was ranked three in the MGR Cabinet during 1977-1987 and a senior leader of the AIADMK, explains that those below the poverty line (BPL) and women have constituted the base of the party. Their support has been steadfast over the years. Pointing out that MGR and his successor Jayalalithaa were charismatic leaders, he says that other parties have not been able to throw up any leader with a “counter magnetic force.”
Venkatesh Athreya, political commentator, says that while it was true that MGR’s image as the saviour of the poor, cultivated through his films, had played an important part in the preservation of the vote share, he had the sense of most immediate needs of the poor.
Charm of noon meal scheme
Describing as spectacular the noon meal scheme implemented during the rule of MGR, Dr. Athreya says equally significant was the move to provide footwear to school children. As Jayalalithaa had inherited MGR’s legacy, she had continued the welfare policies, which had to be kept alive “in the context of competitive politics.” The relatively good performance of Tamil Nadu in the mobilisation of State’s Own Tax Revenue (SOTR) over the years has sustained the implementation of the policies. In addition, Jayalalithaa had skilfully played the politics of coalition to strengthen her party’s vote base.
A. Gopanna, Congress leader and chronicler of Tamil Nadu history, says one of the factors behind the AIADMK’s strength is its ability to foster anti-DMK sentiment among certain sections of people.
Perumal Mani, another observer, says there have been tremendous changes in the composition of vote bank of the party after MGR’s death. So long as the party founder was alive, the party had widespread support across communities and its hold among numerically weaker communities was perceptible. After Jayalalithaa assumed charge as the general secretary in 1988, the Mukkolathors and Gounders became prominent constituents of the party’s vote bank.
Mr. Mani says Dalits, especially Arunthathiars, have been a constant source of support to the party. Though women were known to be traditional supporters of the AIADMK, Jayalalithaa, through her strategies and policies, could draw greater share of women to her party at the time of polls, he adds.
