Actually, when he burst on the political scene in September 2005 (in a state where the DMK or AIADMK have been in power since 1967), Vijayakanth made it clear that he would be an alternative to both regional parties. As BJP state unit chief L. Ganeshan put it: "Vijayakanth is more concerned about the next assembly poll (2011) rather than the upcoming election. He may lose his identity if he goes with the DMK or AIADMK. If he contests alone, he will retain it but winning is doubtful. Still, aligning with the BJP will still retain his identity. But it’s left to him." Vijayakanth’s answer: "Only God and the people are my allies," he said going in on his own.
Winning 8.33 per cent of the voteshare in the 2006 assembly elections (and the Virudhanagar seat from where he was elected), at a time when no one looked at him or his Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) as serious contenders, has given him a big boost. He wants to maintain that USP, although he flirted with the Congress, AIADMK and even the BJP during the run-up to these elections. Incidentally, he has fielded candidates in all the 39 LS seats.
This time too, while other political formations were still trying to stitch up alliances, Vijayakanth had hit the campaign trail starting out at the southern-most tip, Kanyakumari. He plans to cover every constituency and in every speech he targets Karunanidhi for his nepotism (although he gave Sudheesh a ticket) and Jayalalitha for her corruption.
For Vijayakanth, this election isn’t about improving voteshare. His aim: to become Tamil Nadu’s next chief minister. But that’s two years from now. In 2009, he has already upset several calculations as he draws crowds across the state.
