The DMK alliance secured one of its biggest victories in its history in the just concluded 2019 Lok Sabha elections. It won 38 out of the 39 constituencies that were contested in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. It increased its vote share to 32.76 percent and showed that its moves were strategically excellent. In what has been a complete rout nationwide, Tamil Nadu has been the lone crusader with the DMK completely routing the opposition in this election.
The DMK alliance secured one of its biggest victories in its history in the just concluded 2019 Lok Sabha elections. It won 38 out of the 39 constituencies that were contested in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. It increased its vote share to 32.76 percent and showed that its moves were strategically excellent. In what has been a complete rout nationwide, Tamil Nadu has been the lone crusader with the DMK completely routing the opposition in this election.
But there has been a surprise development in TN's ploitical arena with actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) putting up a good show in its electoral debut in 2019. The party which is merely 14 months old had fielded candidates who did not have any prior public recognition.
Maiam contested in all 36 constituencies (except for Perambalur and Kanchipuram where their nominations were cancelled) under the torchlight symbol. The party's strong show is seen as the foundation from which it can build a credible future as an alternative to the existing Dravidian parties.
In the Lok Sabha elections, MNM put up a tough fight in many constituencies and ended up as a noteworthy third in as many as 15 constituencies. This has pushed behind Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) and Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), as well as split the neutral votes of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and BJP. In its very first election, MNM has done better in 12 seats than the NTK, which is almost 10 years old.
MNM has garnered good support among urban voters, particularly in Chennai which comprises of Chennai North, Chennai Central and Chennai South, which also enabled MNM to gain a spectacular vote share than the AMMK. In Chennai South, the party managed to get 12.03 per cent more than the AMMK and the NTK. In Chennai Central, AMMK did not contest but MNM managed to get 11.74 percent. This is where actor Nasser’s wife Kameela Nasser contested and emerged as the third candidate after Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) candidate Sam Paul. In Chennai North, MNM got 10.8 percent of the votes, thus securing third place. The NTK’s much-expected P Kaliyammal emerged fourth with a 6.33 percent vote share.
In the Kongu region—Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode, Nilgiris—the MNM has done fairly well and managed to secure the third position in these constituencies. The party has managed to get an 11.63 percent vote share, particularly in Coimbatore. One key reason for MNM faring well in the urban areas of Chennai and the Kongu belt is that after many years there has been a credible alternative in the eyes of the people, with young urban and neutral voters giving MNM their nod.
In the by-polls, MNM contested only from 19 constituencies. Having put up a tough fight against the AMMK and the NTK, MNM managed to overtake the NTK only in five constituencies—Poonamallee, Perambur, Hosur, Sulur and Thirupparankundram. In Paramakudi, Kamal Haasan's hometown, the party managed to get only a 3.3 percent vote share, trailing behind the NTK.
Beyond all the figures, Makkal Needhi Maiam has undoubtedly emerged as the choice of the urban voters who were long clamouring for an alternative to break away from the stereotype established parties. MNM has thus had a dream start off the political blocks and will be watched keenly from hereon, with Assembly elections due in under two years.
But there has been a surprise development in TN's ploitical arena with actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) putting up a good show in its electoral debut in 2019. The party which is merely 14 months old had fielded candidates who did not have any prior public recognition.
Maiam contested in all 36 constituencies (except for Perambalur and Kanchipuram where their nominations were cancelled) under the torchlight symbol. The party's strong show is seen as the foundation from which it can build a credible future as an alternative to the existing Dravidian parties.
In the Lok Sabha elections, MNM put up a tough fight in many constituencies and ended up as a noteworthy third in as many as 15 constituencies. This has pushed behind Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) and Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), as well as split the neutral votes of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and BJP. In its very first election, MNM has done better in 12 seats than the NTK, which is almost 10 years old.
MNM has garnered good support among urban voters, particularly in Chennai which comprises of Chennai North, Chennai Central and Chennai South, which also enabled MNM to gain a spectacular vote share than the AMMK. In Chennai South, the party managed to get 12.03 per cent more than the AMMK and the NTK. In Chennai Central, AMMK did not contest but MNM managed to get 11.74 percent. This is where actor Nasser’s wife Kameela Nasser contested and emerged as the third candidate after Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) candidate Sam Paul. In Chennai North, MNM got 10.8 percent of the votes, thus securing third place. The NTK’s much-expected P Kaliyammal emerged fourth with a 6.33 percent vote share.
In the Kongu region—Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode, Nilgiris—the MNM has done fairly well and managed to secure the third position in these constituencies. The party has managed to get an 11.63 percent vote share, particularly in Coimbatore. One key reason for MNM faring well in the urban areas of Chennai and the Kongu belt is that after many years there has been a credible alternative in the eyes of the people, with young urban and neutral voters giving MNM their nod.
In the by-polls, MNM contested only from 19 constituencies. Having put up a tough fight against the AMMK and the NTK, MNM managed to overtake the NTK only in five constituencies—Poonamallee, Perambur, Hosur, Sulur and Thirupparankundram. In Paramakudi, Kamal Haasan's hometown, the party managed to get only a 3.3 percent vote share, trailing behind the NTK.
Beyond all the figures, Makkal Needhi Maiam has undoubtedly emerged as the choice of the urban voters who were long clamouring for an alternative to break away from the stereotype established parties. MNM has thus had a dream start off the political blocks and will be watched keenly from hereon, with Assembly elections due in under two years.