Date:12/05/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/05/12/stories/2006051212550400.htm

Tamil Nadu

Coimbatore, lone saving grace for AIADMK

G. Satyamurty

Party-led alliance wins 10 out of 14 seats

Western region elects 55 representatives to the Assembly

This is AIADMK's second worst performance in the region

Coimbatore: Though the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) performed below par in the western region, considered its bastion, that fact that its alliance secured 10 of the 14 seats in Coimbatore district should give the party some consolation.

The seats won by the AIADMK are: Coimbatore West, Mettupalayam, Avanashi, Palladam, Singanallur, Kinathukadavu, Perur, Pollachi and Udumalpet. Its ally Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) won from Thondamuthur. The AIADMK contested 11 seats, the MDMK two and the Dalit Panthers of India one).

The western region elects 55 representatives to the 234-member Assembly. In the current elections, the party-led front secured 16 seats — AIADMK 15, MDMK 1. This is the AIADMK's second worst performance in the region in the eight elections it has contested.

The region consists of the Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Erode, Salem, Namakkal, Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts.

It contributed 40 of the total 130 seats the AIADMK secured in the 1977 elections, when the AIADMK made a full-fledged entry into the poll fray. The late M.G. Ramachandran set up the party in 1972.

In 1980, after being dismissed by the Indira Gandhi Government, MGR was returned to power with 129 seats.

The region contributed 40 seats. The party won 34 seats in the region in the 1984 Assembly elections when its State tally was 133.

In 1989, the AIADMK (Jayalalithaa) (following the party's split and contesting as two entities) managed to secure 16 seats in the region as against the total of 27 in the State.

In 1991, assisted by the sympathy wave following the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, the AIADMK-Congress alliance romped home winning all the seats in the region. The AIADMK alone accounted for 44 and its State tally was 164.

Party routed

In 1996, due to very strong incumbency factor and a formidable alliance sewn up by the DMK in coordination with the nascent Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC), all that the AIADMK could manage was just one seat in the entire western region of its total State tally of four.

In 2001, helped by a formidable alliance involving a number of major political parties, the AIADMK was returned to power. While the AIADMK-led front secured most of the seats in the region, the party registered 35.