AIADMK's vote share plunges below 20% in urban body polls

AIADMK’s vote share has plunged for the second time in a span of four years to below 20 per cent.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the party’s vote share plummeted to 18.4 per cent and in the urban local body elections, the vote share was 11.94 per cent in the corporation elections.

The party, however, refuses to concede defeat and instead has criticised the ruling DMK for the way the urban local body elections were held. The party has also fared very badly in the Chennai Corporation election, even lagging behind BJP in some wards. Till 2016, the Chennai Corporation was under AIADMK.

With all ward results being released, DMK has nearly 70 per cent of the vote share in the 21 corporation wards across the state. Against this, AIADMK’s share is just 11.94 per cent.

In the 2021 Assembly elections, AIADMK’s vote share was 33.29 per cent and within less than a year, the party lost nearly 22 per cent. Since the party contested almost alone, as it did not have any alliance with big parties, the grass root support for it in urban areas will be questioned.

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AIADMK’s vote share is much less than that in the 1996 Assembly elections, when the party lost all seats, but its vote share remained at 25 per cent.

Though a section of the AIADMK criticised the headquarters for having an alliance with BJP in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, the party’s decision to go alone in the urban local body elections has proved to be wrong, as the BJP has more or less done well in urban areas, especially in Kanyakumari and in Chennai Corporation elections.

Former chief ministers Edappadi K Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam campaigned in person unlike Chief Minister M K Stalin, who did not visit any district seeking votes and instead spoke through video conference. Thus again, Palaniswami’s claim that DMK has cheated people with their promise has failed to win votes.

DMK on the other hand, with a big alliance with the Congress, CPI(M), CPI, VCK, MDMK and other small parties, has a vote share of 69.29 per cent in corporation areas, while in municipal areas, the party’s vote share is 61.41 per cent and 58 per cent in town panchayat areas.

Congress, the DMK’s chief ally has a vote share of 5.31 per cent in corporation area, four per cent in municipal areas and five per cent in town panchayat areas.

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BJP, which also went alone in the urban local party elections, has a vote share of 1.60 per cent in the corporation areas, 1.46 per cent in municipal areas and 3.02 per cent in the town panchayat areas.

Smaller parties like the CPI(M) and CPI have a vote share of less than two per cent each. DMDK, which has a state party recognition, has a vote share of 0.3 per cent in town panchayat areas.