: The All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) and a few outfits claiming to represent the Mukkulathor community that floated the Singam Kootani (Lion Alliance) before the Assembly elections have failed to make any impact in the elections.
The alliance was formed by AIFB, All India Moovendar Munnani Kazhagam (AIMMK) and Moovendar Munnetra Kazhagam (MMK) after they were denied seats by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).
While launching the alliance in Madurai barely four weeks before the election, the leaders accused the two Dravidian parties of exploiting the Mukkulathor community by reaping their votes during the election but not providing adequate representation.
Though the leaders acknowledged that their chances of winning were slim in majority of the constituencies, they said that the alliance would teach a lesson to the Dravidian parties, particularly the AIADMK, by splitting the votes.
However, despite contesting in nearly 28 constituencies on the Lion symbol of AIFB, which is perceived to command considerable loyalty among the Mukkulathor community in many areas since the time of P. Muthuramalinga Thevar, the front has lost deposit in all the constituencies. In 19 constituencies, the alliance could secure votes only in three digits.
Even in Usilampatti constituency, where AIFB has won almost all the elections by aligning either with DMK or AIADMK, the incumbent MLA P.V. Kathiravan of AIFB came only fourth by securing just 2.55 per cent of the votes. AIADMK secured a landslide victory in Usilampatti by securing 52.9 per cent of votes with the highest margin in Madurai district (32,906 votes).
The other key candidate of the alliance, G.M. Srithar Vandaiyar of Moovendar Munnetra Kazhagam, also came fourth in Sivaganga constituency by securing just 2.75 per cent of the votes.
P. Bhagavathy, the AIMMK candidate of Madurai North constituency, blamed the failure on the formation of alliance at the eleventh hour. “We did not have time to plan the campaign and reach out to the people. Many did not even know about the presence of the alliance,” he said.
Front leaders had accused Dravidian parties of exploiting the Mukkulathor community
