After 39 years, DMK storms into AIADMK bastion, wrests Salem

After a gap of 39 long years, the DMK stormed into the AIADMK bastion to wrest Salem constituency.
DMK workers celebrating at party headquarters in Chennai on 23 May 2019. (Photo | Martin Louis, EPS)
DMK workers celebrating at party headquarters in Chennai on 23 May 2019. (Photo | Martin Louis, EPS)

SALEM: After a gap of 39 long years, the DMK stormed into the AIADMK bastion to wrest Salem constituency. While the AIADMK had banked on caste arithmetic to draw PMK to its fold, it did not translate into votes for the alliance. 

The Salem constituency comprises Salem South, Salem North, Salem West, Omalur, Veerapandi and Edappadi Assembly segments. After 1980, the DMK fielded its candidate thrice from Salem – in 1989, 1991 and in 2014 – but success proved to be elusive. Mostly, it gave the seat to its allies, especially Congress.

In 2014, DMK was defeated by AIADMK candidate V Pannerselvam by 2.66 lakh votes. After Edappadi K Palaniswami assumed office as the CM, the DMK cadre began clamouring for a candidate from the party to face-off with the incumbents.

As per their wish, the DMK fielded newcomer SR Parthiban, much to the surprise of many DMK veterans. But Parthiban brought home the seat by defeating AIADMK candidate K R S Saravanan by 1.46 lakh votes.

In the 2014 MP election, the AIADMK secured 5.56 lakh votes without forging an alliance. The DMK secured only 2.88 lakh votes and DMDK (BJP alliance) secured 2.01 lakh votes.

As the AIADMK had allied with PMK, DMDK, and BJP this time around, most of the party cadre expected the party to secure more than seven lakhs votes, considering PMK’s strong vote bank in Salem and the 2014 and 2016 election results. However, Thursday’s result belied all their hopes.

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