T.V.K. has won the by-elections for the Dharapuram and Madurantakam constituencies, creating a new era in Tamil Nadu politics. In other words, T.V.K. has broken the culture of giving money for votes in by-elections and has emerged victorious by projecting only Chief Minister Vijay’s face. We asked, “What is the strategy behind this victory... and what mileage will T.V.K. gain from it?”
As soon as the by-election announcement was released, Chief Minister Vijay appointed Minister Aadhav Arjuna as the in-charge for Madurantakam and Minister Arun Raj for Dharapuram. Along with them, three ministers, MLAs, and party functionaries were appointed as joint in-charges for each constituency. Initially, TVK entered the field with the calculation that both constituencies could be easily won. But after realizing that AIADMK and DMK workers were moving around and working tirelessly in both constituencies, they changed their strategy.
The entire cabinet was divided into two groups, and the ministers from south of Tiruchi and the Kongu area ministers were appointed as in-charges for the Dharapuram constituency. Each person was assigned responsibility for 25 wards. In addition, senior leaders who had come from the AIADMK to the TVK, including Udumalpet Radhakrishnan, C. Vijayabaskar, M.R. Vijayabaskar, and Kadambur Raju, also jumped into the fray. Likewise, in Madurantakam too, wards were divided and assigned as responsibilities to other ministers.
As far as Madurantakam was concerned, PMK’s withdrawal from the contest turned out to be very advantageous for TVK. In an effort to sway the votes of the Vanniyar community, ministers received blessings at the Melmaruvathur Adhiparasakthi Peedam. In addition, by saying, “The Chief Minister is firm on conducting a caste-wise census,” Minister Aadhav Arjuna signaled that they too were accepting PMK’s demand. The information that spread within the constituency—“PMK is going to join the TVK cabinet. Sowmya Anbumani is going to become a minister”—created a pro-TVK sentiment among the Vanniyar community. DMK and AIADMK did not have a strategy strong enough to counter all this.
In Dharapuram, the constituency from the very beginning was not in favor of TVK. Four surveys conducted by TVK showed that the Kongu Vellalar Gounder community, which forms the majority in the constituency, was firmly aligned with the AIADMK. “If TVK wins in the constituency, the stature of the in-charge Arunraj will rise. He will become the face of the Kongu region. That must not be allowed...” With that resolve, some people within the party also engaged in behind-the-scenes sabotage. Even amid all these pressures, Arunraj showed intensity in vote collection.
The three unions of Kundadam, Moolanur, and Dharapuram, along with Dharapuram town, fall within the constituency. Among them, Kundadam union is an area where the AIADMK is strong. In Moolanur, due to the field work of former ministers Senthilbalaji and Chakrapani, the AIADMK vote bank was split. A section of them shifted to a pro-TVK stance, saying, “We don’t like Sathiyabama. But the ministers say they will do what our constituency needs... and the district in-charge minister Arunraj has also promised...” In Dharapuram union and town too, TVK had a strong vote base, so the party had the upper hand there.
Above all, Chief Minister Vijay made the rounds in both constituencies, holding one campaign and one roadshow each. He did many crowd-pleasing things, such as driving a tractor, drinking tea, plucking drumsticks, and driving a rekhla cart. The fact that the Chief Minister worshipped at the Vanchiamman temple in the Moolanur union was seen by the Gounder community as recognition they had received. That is why, at the last minute, many neutral votes shifted in favor of TVK. As he had told party seniors, “Everything will change after I go for campaigning,” Chief Minister Vijay has delivered exactly as promised.
By winning both constituencies in the election results, T.V.K. has boosted the Chief Minister’s image. They have also gained the momentum to prepare for the by-elections in the five constituencies coming up next. T.V.K. seniors say that the work of building the party will now pick up speed following the election victory. Chief Minister Vijay has understood what party seniors said: “The reason Sathyabama could not campaign in Dharapuram was the lack of organizational structure. If there had been a branch secretary, we could have campaigned easily.” So, this election victory has not only given T.V.K. a fresh boost, but has also accelerated the work of building the party.