TN elections project 'Captain' as Third Force

Madurai, Oct 19 (UNI) More than the emphatic victory of the ruling DMK in the civic polls as well as the Assembly by-election, it is the creditable performance of the fledgling Desiya Dravida Murpokku Kazhagam (DMDK) filmstar-politician Vijayakant, which acquires far greater political significance.

'Captain', as the actor is called by his admirers, has emerged as a potential alternative to both the DMK and the AIADMK.

Indicative of the spectacular rise and consolidation of the DMDK, it also throws up a wake up call to the political establishment in the Dravidian land, according to political observers.

In the bypoll to Madurai Central constituency, the party came third in the race, but had polled 17394 votes, 5356 more than the previous election. Interestingly, it was only marginally behind the AIADMK which retained the second spot with 19909 votes. And with a commendable show in the civic election, the party has carved out a space for itself.

''Appreciable progress'' was the pat from Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, who refused to talk about the DMDK.

By attempting to occupy the void left unaddressed for long in the political landscape, Vijaykant has become the focal point of anti-Dravidian sentiments, gaining ground among voters, disenchanted with both the DMK and AIADMK. This yearning for 'change', opening up new possibilities, essentially involve a churning and a strong negation of other junior players, like Vaiko and DPI leader Thol Thirumavalavan, cultivating a larger-than life image, and making them increasingly irrelevant, an analyst noted.

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