Chennai goes against Jaya wave, shows some Karuna

CHENNAI: DMK could not capture Fort St George this time, but it has reclaimed one of its oldest bastions by winning 10 of the 16 Chennai seats, after a gap of 10 years.

While urban aspirations, that looked down upon CM Jayalalithaa’s freebies, probably synchronised more with DMK’s manifesto, the party’s field work among flood-affected residents who were angry with the authorities propelled its performance this time. Beyond the numbers, Chennai city constituencies have remained a matter of political prestige for the Dravidian giants. DMK was founded there in 1949.

It remained the party’s citadel till 2006 when the Jayalalithaa-led AIADMK won nine of the 14 constituencies. The number of city constituencies went up to 16 after delimitation prior to the 2011 elections, and AIADMK bettered its performance, winning 12 seats.

Bagging 10 seats this time marks a comeback for DMK which has done better overall across the state, compared to 2011 when it garnered only 23 seats in the assembly. Chennai has been grappling with its transport and civic deficiencies. This must have cost AIADMK’s candidates, including a couple of ministers in the outgoing cabinet, their seat. “Bad roads, poor drainage and lack of proper public transport made people vote for DMK,” said analyst Ravindran Doraisamy. “AIADMK MLAs and corporation councillors brought a bad name for the party.” So on Thursday, voters reminded the Jayalalithaa government that it has to deliver more to keep the growing city happy.