Tamil Nadu - Madurai   

Will Captain's charisma work?

S. Vijay Kumar

NEWSANALYSIS Promises galore at meet

MADURAI: The floating of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam by actor-turned-politician Vijaykanth in Madurai on Wednesday was a mega event with thousands of his fans thronging the Temple City.

The 54-year-old actor has been nurturing plans to enter politics for quite sometime. Having acted in 148 movies over three decades, Mr. Vijaykanth is depending on his appeal among the masses. He says his party will make a difference to State politics and that the people will have a "dependable" alternative in the ensuing Assembly elections.

Strong agenda

Mr. Vijaykanth has promised to root out corruption, poverty and unemployment, establish basic amenities in all villages, build industrial infrastructure and extend sops to women, including 33 per cent reservation.

He said the party would revive the weaving industry through modernisation. Farmers would get a fair procurement price for their produce. The maritime boundary problems of fishermen would be solved. Quality education for all would be another focus area. "No student should be denied education for want of money. Though Tamil is our mother tongue, we must not stop the youth from learning other languages which will help them get employment outside the State."

On current issues, he said linking of rivers was imperative, he said an amicable solution had to be arrived at through negotiations with southern States for sharing river waters. "The parties that came to power made promises only on paper. Rural Tamil Nadu has been neglected for decades and there is hardly any infrastructural development there. We will change this situation if voted to power," he said.

But is the debutant to politics being overconfident? Will the huge turnout translate into votes? Will his attempt to follow the MGR model yield results? Can the fans-turned-cadres influence the masses at the grassroots? These are some of the questions in the minds of the people.

"When it comes to politics, there is hardly anything in common between MGR and Vijaykanth. MGR entered politics during 1957 and was an MLA thrice. For two decades, he was directly involved in politics in various capacities and established a base for himself before forming his own party and becoming the Chief Minister. Above all, he had seasoned politicians as his advisors and his party, the then Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (ADMK), had many popular faces," says a political analyst, adding that these aspects are missing in Mr. Vijaykanth who is "a fresher."

Though the charisma of the `Captain' was the reason for the huge turnout, the analyst said the launch of the new party was also an avenue for frustrated cadres who had been sidelined in other parties.

No mudslinging

Though many speakers at the conference accused the Dravidian parties of betraying the people by not fulfilling promises, Mr. Vijaykanth preferred not to make any direct references. He said his family would not enter politics.

"I do not need to enter politics to make money. I am here with a mission: to form a caste-free society, alleviate poverty and eradicate corruption."

Mr. Vijaykanth plans to tour the State and meet the people with his `Good Samaritan' movie image.

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