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The caller defection of a ample fig of erstwhile Ministers and legislators belonging to the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) to the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has prompted galore to wonderment whether the ruling enactment is seeking to physique its organisational web done these latest recruits.
Even though it is good known that the Vijay Makkal Iyakkam (VMI), a voluntary organisation made up of recently elected Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s fans, has provided the much-needed manpower for the TVK, determination is simply a cognition successful definite quarters that the ruling enactment has not yet acquired capable spot connected the ground. Under specified circumstances, it is rather earthy that the TVK follows an “open-door policy” for anyone with governmental experience, particularly from the AIADMK, which has finished 3rd successful the April-May Assembly election. There person been accretions to the ruling enactment from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) excessively but the TVK’s keenness to woo arsenic galore cadres arsenic it tin from the AIADMK is intelligibly evident. At an lawsuit to people the admittance of the defectors past week, 1 of the salient faces of the caller authorities and Minister for Public Works and Sports Development Aadhav Arjuna said that “the AIADMK and the TVK are 1 and the same. The TVK is not a antithetic enactment but [like] a genitor body.” This reflection has prompted leaders and observers to picture the TVK arsenic “a caller AIADMK.”
Editorial | Betrayal of mandate: On the TVK and Tamil Nadu politics
The main crushed wherefore the ruling enactment is targeting the Dravidian large is the latter’s comparative weakness successful narration to its accepted adversary, the DMK. The extent of its decision tin beryllium appreciated amended if 1 is to instrumentality a adjacent look astatine however it suffered electoral reverses successful the 2026 Assembly poll. Apart from winning lone 47 Assembly seats (against 66 seats successful 2021), the enactment forfeited deposit successful 19 seats, the highest truthful far. But the DMK, which contested 4 seats much than the AIADMK’s 172, did not forfeit deposit successful immoderate constituency. In presumption of ballot stock successful contested seats, the DMK fared amended with 32.17% arsenic against the other’s 28.7%.
A caller alternative
There is 1 schoolhouse of thought wrong the AIADMK, arsenic articulated by wide caput Edappadi K. Palaniswami precocious past week, that the party’s show was not arsenic mediocre arsenic it was successful 1996 erstwhile it secured lone 4 seats and that of the DMK’s successful 1991 erstwhile it won conscionable 2 seats. But determination is 1 qualitative quality betwixt 2026 and 1991 and 1996 — determination was nary credible 3rd alternate unit disposable then, dissimilar the TVK now. Besides, the fig of seats wherever some the Dravidian majors forfeited deposits was overmuch little — 3 for the DMK successful 1991 and 2 for the AIADMK successful 1996. Moreover, arsenic regards the AIADMK, the signals were retired adjacent successful the 2024 Lok Sabha polls erstwhile the enactment forfeited, for the archetypal clip successful a parliamentary election, deposits successful 7 constituencies. It is against this backdrop that the TVK, which has catapulted to powerfulness successful the caller polls, is consolidating its position.
There are a fewer much compelling factors for the ruling enactment to instrumentality nether its fold members of the AIADMK. In the Assembly polls, the TVK drew a blank successful 8 districts including Villupuram (with 7 Assembly constituencies) and Nagapattinam-Mayiladuthurai-Tiruvarur (put together, 10 seats). It knows that it has to person a beardown basal successful each these areas, adjacent though nary starring fig from these places was determination successful the latest circular of defectors.
In addition, section assemblage polls are going to beryllium held successful 8 months, arsenic declared by Mr. Arjuna a mates of days ago. Rural section bodies successful 28 districts, which comprise 9,581 colony panchayats, 314 panchayat national councils, and 28 territory panchayats, bash not person elected representatives. The word of specified bodies successful 9 different districts volition beryllium implicit successful 4 months. In February adjacent year, the word of each large municipality section bodies volition besides end. Going by each indications, the authorities would similar to person elections to the agrarian and municipality section bodies together. This is wherefore the Minister has challenged the DMK asking whether it would beryllium capable to container mayorship adjacent successful 1 municipal corporation.
Is Tamil Nadu witnessing its ain ‘Operation Lotus’? | Focus Tamil Nadu
Politics successful Tamil Nadu has entered a disturbing and arguable signifier aft 4 All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MLAs resigned and joined the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam led by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay. Critics person likened the improvement to the BJP’s much-criticised “Operation Lotus” strategy seen successful respective States. Is this simply the world of coalition-era politics, oregon does it magnitude to a betrayal of TVK’s committedness of cleanable and ethical governance? | Video Credit: The Hindu
It whitethorn beryllium the anticipation of the TVK that if the enactment were to travel retired with flying colours successful the section assemblage polls, it tin marque moves, some politically and administratively, overmuch much confidently than it has done truthful far.
