TIRUCHY: The DMK is not keen on contesting the Tiruchy West by-election, if one were to go by the words of the party’s district secretary K N Nehru.The seat had fallen vacant after the death of AIADMK minister N Mariyam Pitchai in a road accident near Thiruvalakurichi, about 40 km from here, on May 23. According to Nehru, the party will fight the election if the State leadership wanted to, sending out feelers that the district leadership was not interested in forcing a contest under the present circumstances. “The party will boycott if the leadership wants to,” he said, and hastened to add that any decision taken by the party leadership would be abided with.Though the assertion appears to be a declaration of party discipline and its mode of functioning, broaching the topic of a poll boycott sums up the mood of the functionaries here.The reluctance of the district leadership could have arisen from several factors, including the Tamil Nadu electorate’s tendency to vote for the ruling party. Another reason could be the spate of criminal cases party functionaries are facing, which would hamper their election activities.The MDMK, which polled 10 per cent seats in Tiruchy city when it contested alone in 2001, is sure to field a candidate here. This is expected to split the Opposition votes, making it all the more difficult for the DMK.However, a section of DMK functionaries feel that the party should not avoid a contest, since it has a better organisation than the ruling party. A poll boycott will leave the field open for the MDMK, they argue.But, the rank and file of the party here is siding with Nehru, whose word could be final. Even the top brass might leave the decision of contesting the bypoll to the district leadership, which, might say the call was taken by those at the top.
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