The DMK suffered the same fate this time as the AIADMK in the 2004 Lok Sabha polls. The only difference is that the DMK was in the company of the Congress and won all 39 seats in the State. The AIADMK, even then was the ruling party, went to the polls with the BJP and was routed.
Though DMK president M. Karunanidhi sought to play down the defeat, saying “while we will not lose heart by defeat, we will not allow victory to go into our head,” the party did not expect such a humiliating defeat.
Even predictions gave the party up to 10 seats and DMK treasurer M.K. Stalin, who spearheaded the campaign, hoped his party would win a minimum of 15 seats.
“We have seen victories and defeats in the past and acquired a sense of equanimity. Even after being subject to untold sufferings during the Emergency, we could not win the election that followed immediately. But we won the next Lok Sabha polls and again lost to the AIADMK in the Assembly elections,” said DMK deputy general secretary Duraimurugan.
The one person in the DMK who appears to have had the last laugh is the former Union Minister, M.K. Alagiri, who was recently expelled from the party for his alleged anti-party activities.
Reacting to the outcome, Mr. Alagiri, locked in a running feud with his brother M.K. Stalin, said the DMK was paying the price for faulty moves. “Right from the selection of candidates, the high command was warned of the wrong choices and one “self-appointed leader ignored all warnings and took unilateral decisions,” he said.
Speaking to The Hindu , he alleged that Mr. Karunanidhi was in the dark about the happenings and “the attitude of one man in the DMK has resulted in the worst-ever drubbing for the party.”
Many senior leaders, however, did not agree with the view that Mr. Alagiri played a spoilsport. “Can he spoil the chances of someone contesting in Arakkonam and North Chennai? The AIADMK has taken advantage of a multi-cornered contest, and we were not able to level any major allegation against the ruling party,” a former MP said.
He said the poor performance of the IUML candidate in Vellore stood testimony to the fact that even the Muslims had not fully voted for the DMK that enjoyed the backing of two Muslim outfits.
