TN Polls: Is the PWF-DMDK-TMC Front a Force to Reckon With?

While DMK and AIADMK are almost evenly matched, the third front may chip away significant votes of the either.

It is now emerging as a genuine four-cornered fight in Tamil Nadu, perhaps a first in a long while. The line-up is the All India Anna Dravida Munnerta Khazagam (AIADMK), the Dravida Munnerta Khazagam (DMK) and its allies, a third front (PWF) led by popular actor Vijayakanth’s DMDK and the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), a party relying almost solely on its appeal among the Vanniars. The last is a numerically large intermediate caste in the northern districts and a little into central Tamil Nadu, as reported by The News Minute.

The BJP is also in the fray, all on its own, but no one takes it seriously here.

While the DMK and the AIADMK are almost evenly matched, with a slight edge to Jayalalitha, it is easily the impact of the third front that will decide the eventual outcome. The moot question is and will remain till voting day – whose votes will it chip away?

Jayalalithaa too has some minor allies with her, but all of them are contesting under the two leaves symbol.

With the arrival of G K Vasan, the People’s Welfare Front (PWF), has almost assumed the looks of a mahagatbandhan , but is it one?

In a rather strange nomenclature, they are calling it an alliance of Vijaykanth’s Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) and the PWF, comprising the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), the Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC), the Viduthalaai Chiruthaikal Katchi (VCK), a Dalit outfit and the two Left parties, the CPM and the CPI.

Why not call it just the People’s Welfare Front(PWF) led by ‘captain’ Vijaykanth? After sealing the pact with the DMDK, MDMK’s Vaiko, the co-coordinator of the front, in a fit of exultation, did declare it was going to be the Captain’s Welfare Front thereafter. But the Left and the VCK balked finding that it was too much of deference to the mercurial Vijaykanth. So they all are now sticking to the alliance version, though Vijaykanth is projected as its Chief Ministerial candidate.

Vaiko is contesting 29 seats, getting the top billing within the PWF, but his constituency is even more nebulous – he is being given the pride of place only because his oratory and flowery rhetoric still attract some crowds.

Under these circumstances the third front will be relying essentially on the caste loyalties evoked by the VCK and the traditional Left vote bank – the first three only providing a veneer of respectability though.

So then the addition of Vasan has not changed the equation in anyway. Unless there is any overpowering desire on the part of the voter to boot out the AIADMK, the front would only end up splitting the anti-AIADMK votes and help Amma return to power.

Besides there is nothing striking about the DMK’s manifesto except for the promise of complete prohibition, something they had been talking about for long, while Jayalalitha herself talks of phased implementation.

Advantage Amma – still.