Low victory margin, the only consolation for AIADMK cadre

When asked what went wrong when Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and his Deputy O Panneerselvam along with their cabinet colleagues camped in the constituency for more than two weeks to canvass support for NDA candidate AC Shanmugam, most workers were at a loss for words.

AIADMK district treasurer M Moorthy said, “The low margin proves there is no DMK wave and hence ministers who campaigned for Shanmugam cannot be blamed for the loss.”

But a senior party functionary bluntly added, “the low margin may console cadre but if they lose in the soon-to-be-held bypolls to the Nanguneri and Vikravandi Assembly seats, then it is a clear sign that people have lost hope in the AIADMK. It will lead to the slow demise of this MGR founded and Jayalalithaa nurtured party.”

What helped Kathir Anand were the minority votes from the Muslim dominant constituencies of Ambur, Vaniyambadi and Gudiyattam and to some extent even Vellore constituency.

Though polling was sluggish on August 5 morning touching a mere 52.42 per cent, it ended with a high of 71.51 per cent when polling ended. Then it was said that Labour Minister and Vaniyambadi MLA Nilofer Kafeel had personally exhorted local residents to vote leading to high poll figures in the afternoon.

A leading leather industry source said that though triple talaq would have exhorted Muslim women to vote for AIADMK, it was the men who felt angered that AIADMK ally the BJP was meddling with the Shariat and hence their high turnout against the NDA candidate.

Officials sealing the marriage hall where DMK president MK Stalin met with local muthavallis at Ambur also annoyed local Muslims, the source added.

DMK cadre K Janakiraman of Katpadi said, “The win proves that voters believed us despite the April 18 poll for this constituency being countermanded due to seizure of cash from those close to Duraimurugan. It also proved that Stalin’s interaction with people was a success as seen from the high turnout of minority voters.”