Poll results to fix future of state leaders

Leadership vacuum created by the demise of former chief ministers J Jayalalithaa and M Karunanidhi, stability of the state government, loyalty of AIADMK secondrung leaders, reliability of allies and echoing of Tamil voices in the Parliament would be decided by Thursday noon.

If the rest of the country would look up to the Election Commission to help guess the next occupant of 7, Race Course Road, a good number of people in Tamil Nadu would get to know if incumbent DMK president MK Stalin and AIADMK leaders Edappadi K Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam have stepped into the big shoes of their respective predecessors. The results would tell if Stalin passes the litmus test of his political acumen. It would tell if he were right in proposing Rahul Gandhi for Prime Ministership even while the rest of the non-BJP parties were reluctant.

In the same vein, the election outcome would prove if the dual AIADMK leadership of Chief Minister Palaniswami and his Deputy Panneerselvam were accepted by the people.

An unfavourable result in the state and in the worst-case scenario, at the Centre, could prompt finger pointing between proponents and opponents of BJP alliance in the AIADMK. In the same vein, results of the 22-seat Assembly bypoll would either allay doubts about the stability or the lack of it in the state government.

Another big question which begs an answer is the impact of AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran on the poll prospects of the AIADMK and loyalty of sleeper cells in the ruling party, would be settled for ever.

Speculations about leadership change in the ruling party and rumours about feelers being sent allegedly to V Sasikala by the incumbent AIADMK leadership would also be put to rest. Reliability or the lack of it of allies in the big number game would either be confirmed or exposed. Rumour mills which spun over time about the BJP allegedly ditching AIADMK and sending feelers to the DMK might come to a grinding halt.

The future of new comer Kamal Haasan’s MNM, fledgling Seeman’s NTK, angry Anbumani Ramadoss’s PMK and obliterated DMDK of Vijayakant would be known too.

Above all, the D-day would also confirm if the voice of Tamils demanding a ban on NEET, release of Rajiv assassination case convicts, scrapping of hydrocarbon mining, methane pipeline and Salem-Chennai eight lane projects would be heard in the Parliament. Altogether, a lot is at stake for Tamils and TN politicians fate hinges on the verdict of the electorate tomorrow.