Small parties’ big fight for third spot

In the wake of a tooth-and nail fight between the Dravidian majors for the two top spots as predicted by all exit polls, stakes are high for the DMDK-PWF-TMC combine to end up in the third spot and project itself as a viable third front this time. 

Interestingly, except AIADMK and DMK, all the other contestants have toned down their rhetoric of ‘will capture power’ in the post poll scenario. 

Despite DMK’s failure to send a decent number of elected representatives to the Assembly in 2011, the party managed to bag 22.39 per cent vote share trailing behind only AIADMK that got 38.40 per cent. 

While the absence of MDMK and TMC in 2011 election has to be noted, the combined vote shares of the other parties (DMDK, CPM, CPI and VCK) coming under the banner of third front now was just 13.77%.

Though leaders of the third front were optimistic of getting more than 13.77% vote share this time, the fact that all these parties were part of either AIADMK or DMK in 2011 assumes significance. 

The PMK struggling to shed its casteist identity with Dr Anbumani Ramadoss leading from the front is expected to give a tough fight to the third front in getting third spot. 

“Rhetoric for campaigning apart, we are confident to bag either the third spot in the assembly or to emerge as the party with third highest vote share this time,” a PMK leader said and added that the party’s decision to go it alone this election is a long term strategy. It may be noted that PMK part of DMK alliance in 2011 got 5.23 per cent and bagged three seats. 

The role of parties like BJP (2.22 per cent vote share in 2011) and Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), who are not in contention is also expected to play a role in deciding the ‘most coveted’ third spot. 

With the past statistics having indicated that these parties have registered only less than 6 per cent votes in the elections they had contested between 1989 and 2011, it would be a tough fight among each other to emerge second runner up.