The performance of the Pattali Makkal Katchi, the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) and the Makkal Needhi Maiam in the urban local bodies elections has failed to match their ambitions of becoming the alternative to the Dravidian parties in Tamil Nadu.
However, the PMK seems to have performed better than the other two parties, winning 73 ward seats in the town panchayats, 48 seats in the municipalities and 5 seats in the corporations. The NTK has won just 9 town panchayat wards and actor Kamal Haasan’s MNM has failed to open its account.
In a statement, PMK founder S. Ramadoss said the PMK managed to record victories across Tamil Nadu — from Gummidipoondi to Kanniyakumari — and said steps would be taken to improve its electoral performances.
“The power of money and authority was unleashed by the ruling dispensation in the urban local body elections. This was an election that took place between those who had money and those who didn’t. It raises fears about the future of democracy in the wake of impact of money in elections. We have recorded victories from Gummidipoondi in the north to the Periyakulam municipality in Theni district and the Kuzhithurai municipality in Kanniyakumari. In the coming days, steps will be taken to increase the performance,” he said.
PMK spokesperson K. Balu rejected the notion that the BJP had emerged as the third largest party in Tamil Nadu by saying that “facts do not support the claims”.
“In Tamil Nadu, after the DMK and the AIADMK, only the PMK has sustained as a political force for 30 years. The Congress has been riding on the back of the DMK for long. The BJP has recorded most of its victories in just two districts — mainly in Kanniyakumari and some in Tirunelveli. Compared to that, the PMK has won from Gummidipoondi to Nagercoil. This perception that the BJP is growing is incorrect — the facts do not support their claims,” he said.
Seeman’s NTK has won in just 9 town panchayat wards and has drawn a blank in the municipalities and the corporations.
Speaking to The Hindu, N. Chandrasekaran, general secretary, NTK, said the NTK was not a party that would be dejected at an electoral loss and urged commentators to wait for the total number of votes and vote shares before making an assessment.
Claiming even the BJP started giving money to voters, Mr. Chandrasekaran attributed that party’s success to the money allegedly distributed to voters.
“We worked very hard and people have given a verdict. We are a new party and this is a beginning. In this election, even established parties like the PMK have struggled. We don’t get cowed down by defeat...,” he said.
Despite being launched with much fanfare in 2017, the MNM has failed to win a single seat in both rural and urban local bodies elections. Before the elections, the senior leadership had admitted that the party desperately needed to collect a few seats in the urban local body elections to improve the morale of the leadership and the cadre.
“We expected the result, considering the amount of money and political power used to compete in these elections. We came here to become the alternative to the Dravidian parties and we would continue to be that alternative,” said MNM spokesperson Murali Appas.
