Vijaykanth-led DMK expected to lose recognition as a state party

Chennai: The DMDK floated by actor-turned-politician A. Vijaykanth is expected to lose recognition as a “State Party” as it polled less than six percent votes in the Tamil Nadu assembly election. The DMDK was the principal opposition party in the outgoing assembly and Vijaykanth was the leader of the opposition. All DMDK candidates were defeated in the May 16 polls. Vijaykanth himself finished third in Ulundurpettai after the AIADMK and DMK. The DMDK secured just 2.4 percent of votes across the state. [caption id=“attachment_2791138” align=“alignleft” width=“620”]  File photo of DMDK leader Vijaykanth. PTI[/caption] In order to get the Election Commission’s recognition as a State Party, a party must secure a minimum of six percent of all votes polled. In 2011, the DMDK won 29 seats when it aligned with the AIADMK. Subsequently, the two fell out and a group of DMDK legislators supported the AIADMK without resigning their seats. At the fag end of the assembly’s life, eight DMDK legislators resigned and the party’s strength fell to 20 in the 234-member house. “We will study the reasons for the defeat. It is well known that money power played a major part in our defeat,” K. Dhanaraju, a former MP, told IANS.