MNM, DMDK still licking wounds inflicted during Assembly polls

Chennai: Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) of Superstar turned politician Kamal Haasan, and Desiya Dravida Munporku Kazhakam (DMDK) led by actor turned politician Vijaykanth, seem to have lost steam after the assembly polls of 2021 in which both the parties faced a drubbing.

The MNM and DMDK which had arrived in the political landscape of Tamil Nadu with a bang seem to have lost the momentum they had, after they were launched. While DMDK had won several seats through timely political alliances with both the DMK and AIADMK, the MNM which fought its first assembly election without a proper alliance faced a heavy drubbing with even the superstar, Kamal Haasan losing the battle for the Coimbatore North Seat.

Both the parties, MNM and DMDK are contesting the rural local body polls in the two phases on October 6 and October 9 without forging any alliances. However both the parties did not field candidates in several district council seats and according to the observers, both have lost several cadre to both the DMK and the AIADMK after the drubbing in the 2021 assembly polls.

Murali A., state secretary (media) of MNM while speaking to IANS said, "MNM is not having much strength in the nine districts that are going to polls on October 6 and October 9 and our total vote percentage have shrunk following the losses in these nine districts." He said that the party would gain momentum and grassroots strength through programmes and policies that are people-friendly in the days to come.

DMDK leader L.K. Sudhish who is also the brother in law of the party founder, Vijayakanth, told IANS, "We have lost and won several seats since 2011 after the formation of the party and in this rural local body polls also, we have fielded candidates in more than 80 per cent of the seats. We are seriously fighting the elections and will come back soon through proper political programmes and policies."

Interestingly Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) led by actor, director Seeman has fielded candidates in almost all the seats. The NTK was also engaged in a war of words with the DMK during the campaign for the rural local body elections.