Congress cadre sulk as DMK allots just 10% of total seats in civic polls

DMK general secretary K Anbazhagan who released the list of party candidates for Salem, Tiruchy and Thoothukudi corporations, gave a reality check to the state Congressmen when he allocated a meagre 15 of the 167 seats to the national party in the three municipal corporations. The worst was in Tiruchy where the Dravidian major considered it sufficient to allot a paltry 0.5% seats (three of the total 62 seats) to the Congress, much less than what even a few Congress-hating DMK men had wanted. 

Thoothukudi, one of the few pockets in Tamil Nadu where remnants of Congress could still be seen, DMK has shared seven seats (out of a total of 51 seats). Congress would contest in five of the 54 seats in the Salem Corporation. Though a few Congress hopefuls believe that the DMK may compensate for this in the other corporations (nine) for which it is yet to announce candidates, enquiries made at Anna Arivalayam revealed that there would be little to inspire confidence in Congressmen even in the days to come. DTNext had reported earlier that DMK would more than halve its allocation to the Congress this time. Even the pro-Chidambaram faction, which had been demanding that the DMK should match the 2011 tally (18% seat) was crestfallen on Wednesday after the DMK list hit the headlines.

DMK leaders, as usual, attributed their attitudinal change to the national party’s poor strike rate (20% — Congress won only eight of its 41 seats) in the last Assembly election, which, apparently, had turned out to be an albatross around the neck for the grand old party of India. 

Significantly, a few Congress seniors not only were not surprised, but they also conceded that there was disinterest among the cadre. “DMK leaders claim that they are ready to give seats if Congress candidates have the money and muscle to take the ruling AIADMK headon. Unfortunately, most of our men do not have either of it. Even old-timers are showing little interest in contesting in this election. When I personally recommended a couple of Congress candidates, DMK leaders wanted me to back them financially, which I cannot afford,” said a senior Congress leader requesting anonymity. 

In the DMK, the party had fielded two former Mayor candidates Soodamani (Salem) and Vijaya Jayaraj (Tiruchy) this time.