'Most election-eve defections are stage-managed'

Former DMK minister K N Nehru has been a busy man for the past few days. He has been organizing at least one event a day in Trichy, inducting droves of cadres from other parties into the DMK.
DMK men claim 3,000 cadres from various parties have joined the DMK last week from various parts of Trichy. "Even yesterday 500 men from Thurayur joined the DMK.We are giving only conservative numbers,'' said a DMK functionary from Trichy.
The defections are not confined to Trichy alone. If the words of DMK and AIADMK men are anything to go by there is a massive exodus of cadres from other parties towards these two Dravidian parties across the state.
Many dispute this assertion. These events are often just for publicity, intended to keep existing cadres motivated and high command happy. The defectors bring little, probably only nuisance value since they have to be lured with liquor and biryani. "Ask these so called cadres of DMDK who are defecting to show the membership card issued by our party. They will stand exposed,'' says DMDK MLA K Dinakaran, who alleges that the DMK has tried to lure him too.
Members of smaller parties and some within the two major Dravidian parties admit that the numbers are exaggerated. "If a district functionary defects to join another party, the number of cadres he takes along will determine his significance,'' says MDMK social wing coordinator 'Minnal' Mohammed Ali.
But former DMK MLA Panamarathupatti R Rajendran disagrees. "I don't know about other parties and places. But I always induct people only after collecting their membership cards issued by their parent party,'' he said.
Many in the parent parties, however, admit they do lose because of some defections. "For instance, Chandrakumar will know every union secretary, the party's strength and weakness in the locality. A replacement for him at the time of election is difficult. Though no votes will be lost, administrative work will be hit,'' said a DMDK functionary.