CUDDALORE:
The outcome of the Assembly elections has transformed the entire political profile of Cuddalore district.
The verdict in all nine Assembly constituencies — Cuddalore, Panruti, Neyveli, Kurinjipadi, Chidambaram, Bhuvanagiri, Kattumannarkoil, Vriddhachalam and Thittakudi — has gone in favour of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led alliance.
The Chidambaram constituency, which used to be odd man out in all previous elections, has now joined the mainstream. In other words, it always returned the opposition candidate and, therefore, had the sobriquet to its credit that “Chidambaram always swims against the current” and “it signals which party will assume power.”
For instance, when the AIADMK swept to power in 2001, the Chidambaram segment elected Durai K.Saravanan of the DMK and when there was a role reversal in 2006, it returned A. Arunmozhithevan of the AIADMK. In the 2011 elections, Chidambaram residents elected K. Balakrishnan of the CPI (M) and defeated Sridhar Vandayar of the Moovendar Munnetra Kazhagam, who contested under the DMK symbol.
The outcome of the results has debunked the theory that Cuddalore district continues to be the citadel of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, now bolstered with the solidarity of the Pattali Makkal Katchi and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi. Political observers feel that even the combined strength of the latter could not withstand the “political tsunami” of the AIADMK-led front and was therefore routed in the hustings. Obviously, soaring inflation, ever increasing prices of petroleum products, frequent power cuts that caused immense hardships to all sections of society and allegations of corruption contributed to the undoing of the DMK combine.