PMK-AIADMK a winnable alliance in northern, western belts

In 2009, the PMK contributed to the victory of the AIADMK in Tiruvallur, Villupuram and Salem

AIADMK leader and Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Edappadi K. Palaniswami, Deputy Chief Minister O. Paneerselvam, PMK leaders S. Ramadoss and Anbumani Ramadoss display the letter of agreement between the two parties on the matter of seat sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The PMK, which has been roped in by the AIADMK for the Lok Sabha election, has a track record of securing substantial number of votes in northern districts and parts of western districts.

A close look at the performance of the party in the northern and western districts over the years reveals how significant the PMK had been as a political player there.

Going by the recalibration of data on vote share secured by the PMK in the 2016 Assembly elections for the 39 Lok Sabha constituencies, it can be seen that the party netted a vote share of 23.78% in Dharmapuri, 16.33% in Chidambaram, 14.7% in Arakkonam and 11.3% in Cuddalore. [In Chennai the party has been pretty weak].

In eight parliamentary seats, the vote share was in double digits. Interestingly, three of them — Chidambaram, Villupuram and Kancheepuram — are reserved for the Scheduled Castes.

Even in the late 1990s, both Chidambaram and Kancheepuram, created in the 2008 delimitation exercise, subsuming the previous Chengalpattu constituency, were held by the PMK.

Though it was announced on Tuesday that details on the constituencies to be assigned to the PMK would be made known later, sources say these will be constituencies where the PMK did very well in the past. Apart from Dharmapuri, the party may be allotted Arani, Chidambaram, Cuddalore and Kancheepuram.

A Minister of the ruling party concedes that one positive feature about the PMK is that the party does transfer its votes to its allies and this has been the experience with the AIADMK. However, it did not happen in 2014, if one were to go by the accusations of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam, which was part of a front that included the PMK.

Visible contribution

Another senior functionary of the party says that the factor of winnability goes up in the northern and western districts when the PMK aligns with the AIADMK. He recalls that in 2009 when both parties fought together, the PMK’s contribution was visible in the victory of the latter in Tiruvallur, Villupuram and Salem. At that time, the AIADMK had bagged nine seats.

Besides, in at least eight out of 21 Assembly constituencies, which are expected to face byelection soon, the PMK’s companionship would benefit the ruling party, says a veteran from the western region of the AIADMK, adding that it is after considering all these and many other factors that the tie-up has been finalised.