The communities — Vanniyakula Kshatriya, Mukkulathor (‘Thevars’) and Kongu Vellalar (Gounders) — account for the lion’s share of candidates nominated by the coalitions led by the DMK and the AIADMK.
According to a study of the caste configuration of the candidates, conducted by a group of persons under the banner ‘Forum for Real Social Justice and Inclusion’, these communities constitute 38.46% of the candidates of the DMK-led front and 47.44% of those of the AIADMK-led alliance. The DMK and its allies have nominated 36 Vanniyakula Kshatriya candidates and 27 candidates each of Kongu Vellalar and Mukkulathor. The respective figures for the AIADMK-led alliance are 42, 32 and 37, says R. Subash, one of the members who conducted the study.
The DMK-led coalition has put up 13 Tulava Vellala or Mudaliar candidates and 15 Naidu candidates. But the AIADMK-led alliance has nominated just 10 Naidu candidates. The DMK-led front has nominated 7 candidates of the Hindu Nadar community and the AIADMK-led front, eight. As for religious minorities, the DMK-led front has chosen 11 Muslims and 10 Christians, including 7 Nadars, while the AIADMK-led front has put up 4 Muslims and 8 Christians, including 6 Nadars. However, the number of Christians does not include the community of fishermen which is taken into account separately.
The Isai Vellalars and the Brahmins are the two “mutually exclusive” communities for the two formations. The DMK-led combine has nominated three Isai Vellalar candidates and the AIADMK-led coalition none. The AIADMK-led alliance has put up two Brahmins and the DMK-led front none.
As for the 44 seats reserved for the SCs, an academic who is doing an independent study of the caste breakdown of the candidates says that though the Arunthathiyars live in large numbers in western districts, several reserved seats have been given to other SC communities. The DMK-led front has selected four Arunthathiyars and the AIADMK-led alliance three.
The two alliances have put up 14-15 Devendrakula Velalar candidates each.
