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The success of the ruling DMK in the local body elections in nine districts has not come as a surprise. But the real surprise package has been actor Vijay’s Thalapathy Vijay Makkal Iyakkam which has quietly picked up seats in various districts, indicating that Tamil Nadu has to brace itself for another actor’s attempt to use cinema charisma to carve out political space. Tamil Nadu’s parties will keenly watch the next step of Vijay, and will be wary of an incursion by yet another actor in their vote-banks.
While estimates are that the actor’s Iyakkam has picked up nearly 60 seats, his association claims victory in at least 110 seats.
While estimates are that the actor’s Iyakkam has picked up nearly 60 seats, his association claims victory in at least 110 seats.
If this turns out to be true, this could be one of the highest strike rates in the elections as the fans’ association is said to have contested only 69 seats.
The actor was extremely reluctant to make an electoral foray though his facther, director S A Chandrasekar had made separate efforts to launch a political party and even announced that the Vijay Makkal Iyakkam would contest the Assembly polls held earlier this year. However, Vijay put his foot down and declared that he would keep away from politics, and warned his father and fans against contesting the elections.
Vijay had also filed a case against his father seeking to restrain him from using the actor’s pictures and name in any such attempt.
However, the victory of his fans in the local body polls would result in rapid acceleration in the move of his fans to register a political party and contest all elections in future. For these local body polls, it is said that Vijay had given his approval to the fans to field candidates in the elections on October 6 and 9. This was a last-minute decision. At the same time, Vijay is said to have made it clear that he would not campaign for the party, although the party logo and his pictures could be used in the campaign.
Though Vijay did not take part in the campaign, his association has done extremely well given the limitations.
Sources close to the actor have clarified that it was the Thalapathy Vijay Makkal Iyakkam which had taken part in the polls and not the Vijay Makkal Iyakkam launched by his father.
Similarly, the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), former ally of the AIADMK, has done reasonably well in these elections, though it contested on its own, picking up 40 seats in the panchayat union ward member elections.
Similarly, the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), former ally of the AIADMK, has done reasonably well in these elections, though it contested on its own, picking up 40 seats in the panchayat union ward member elections. The massive failure of the AIADMK in these polls have vindicated the stand of PMK founder S Ramadoss to maintain distance from the AIADMK, and stand on its own legs. The drubbing received by the AIADMK has exposed the party’s weaknesses, with its top two leaders, OPS and EPS, continuing their shadow-boxing instead of strengthening the party or its alliances.
On the other hand, the DMK is on cloud nine, having won in 138 of the 140 district panchayat ward member posts Of the 1,381 panchayat union ward member posts, the DMK-led combine has so far won 1007, while the AIADMK-led alliance has only 216 posts, and others have notched up close to 100 victories. The AMMK, a breakaway AIADMK group, and the DMDK, former ally of the AIADMK, won 5 and 1 seats respectively. Of the DMK’s allies, the Congress picked up 30 wins, MDMK 14, VCK 12, CPM 4 and CPI 3. Independents including rebels of various parties won in 86 seats.
In the AIADMK camp, the BJP was victorious in 8 PU ward member elections.
Actor Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Mayyam and director-actor’s Naam Tamizhar Katchi could not win a single district panchayat ward member post.
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