Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi floor leader in the State Assembly, Sinthanai Selvan, on Saturday credited the DMK for keeping the alliance intact for the urban local body elections.
Speaking to The Hindu, he said that ruling party usually contests alone in the local body elections to provide more opportunities to its cadre. “This time around, the DMK has taken its allies along even as AIADMK contested alone,” he said.
VCK has won 136 ward members/councillors across Tamil Nadu in all, including 19 councillors in corporations, 39 municipality ward members and won in 78 seats in town panchayats. “Of these, 93 seats were won on ‘coconut tree’ symbol while 43 seats were won on ‘Rising Sun’ symbol,” he said. He added that VCK’s total tally would likely increase if VCK cadres who contested as independents in various seats were added to the tally after they are sworn in.
Despite the VCK and its alliance success in the urban local body elections, Mr. Selvan underlined that the lack of success experienced by smaller parties such as Naam Tamilar Katchi and Makkal Needhi Maiam does not mean that they are not relevant. “The performance in local body election cannot be taken as an indication that they are losing their relevance. Smaller parties have a role to play,” he said.
Asked about BJP’s claim that they are the third largest party in Tamil Nadu, Mr. Selvan said, “I don’t think they are third largest in terms of seats won. However, they have emerged as the main opposition to the DMK in terms of ideology.”
