CHENNAI: The ruling DMK has reportedly allocated the Virudhachalam Assembly constituency for its new ally, the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), where the party registered victories in 2006 and 2011.
DMDK general secretary Premalatha Vijayakant is expected to contest from the constituency, aiming to regain the glory achieved by party founder Vijayakant, who won the seat in the 2006 polls, helping the party cross 8% votes, even as he routed PMK's candidate in the Vanniyar stronghold constituency.
Premalatha contested the 2021 Assembly election from Virudhachalam but lost, securing just 25,908 votes. She was pushed to the third slot after the Congress candidate scraped through, defeating the nearest rival from PMK by a mere 800-odd votes. Premalatha sees an opportunity to rebuild the party by contesting from Virudhachalam, as the constituency holds sentimental value for the party.
Sources in the DMK said the party leadership has given its formal nod to allocate the seat to Vijayakant's party. The constituency is currently represented by R Radhakrishnan of the Congress, who secured 77,064 votes in the 2021 election.
DMK leaders believe that, since both Congress and DMDK are now part of the same alliance, the coalition's combined vote base could improve the chances of victory, and that PMK's split would weaken the Vanniyar party's chances of challenging a constituency that favours the captain's party.
Under the seat-sharing arrangement under discussion, the DMDK is likely to receive around 8 constituencies. Party leader V Vijayaprabakaran is also expected to contest, possibly from a constituency in Madurai or Virudhunagar district, with a chunk of the Telugu-speaking community, as Vijayakant hails from the linguistic minority Balija Naidu community.
The party now hopes to end its losing streak with the tie-up of the Dravidian major and the backing of a formidable alliance.
Virudhachalam: DMDK's Rise and Fall
2006: Vijayakant Victory Margin: 13,777
2011: V Muthukumar Victory Margin: 13,641 votes
2016: V Muthukumar Defeat Margin: 54,048
2021: Premalatha Vijayakant Defeat Margin: 51,156