Has the fight gone out of third front?

Two months into electioneering, the third front stitched together by DMDK, PWF and TMC is struggling to keep up with the AIADMK and DMK. With the coordinator of the front, Vaiko, backing out of a contest and leaders choosing to confine themselves predominantly to their own constituencies, PWF has yet to benefit from a any mutual consolidation.
Going by the turnout at some of the front leaders' rallies, the electorate are not overtly impressed with the alliance, observers say .After giving indications of joining hands with DMK or BJP, DMDK leader Vijayakanth's last-minute decision to go with PWF has not impressed the electorate. Ditched by AIADMK over the number of seats and symbol, besides an RS seat, TMC too joined PWF as a last resort.
However, the parties may benefit from one another in certain pockets where votes may get transferred to each other. These include Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Villupuram and Cuddalore which are strongholds of DMDK and VCK; the western belt and delta districts which are bastions of Left and TMC; and MDMK's base in Tirunelveli, Tuticorin and Virudhanagar.In the past, these seats were won, thanks to their alliances with either AIADMK or DMK.In 2011, DMDK secured 7.88% votes, CPM 2.41% and CPI 1.97%. Vaiko's MDMK got 5.98% votes in 2006. As part of the DMK front, VCK secured 1.51% votes in 2011. “The alternative front was widely expected to make a difference in TN's longdrawn bipolar political space. But it looks like even cadres and second-line leadership of these parties are not confident of the alliance,“ said political analyst M Kasinathan. Vijayakanth himself was not attracting big crowds, he said.
Vaiko's withdrawal from the poll has not been received well by his own partymen.Makkal DMDK leader V C Chandirakumar, who walked out of DMDK recently, said Vaiko had exposed himself.“We feel vindicated now. The DMDK-PWF-TMC combine is only a supportive group of the ruling AIADMK,“ said the rebel leader. Vaiko's decision not to contest may be borne out of the incompatibilities in the alliance, in which VCK, a strong supporter of inter-caste marriages, is also present.