Delhi Assembly polls: Why is a Tamil party seeking votes in Delhi? Ask the Captain

His party Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK),the main opposition party in the Tamil Nadu Assembly,has fielded 11 candidates in the Delhi Assembly polls.

The Captain’s foray into Delhi politics has been underplayed,unlike the dramatic entries in his action-packed films. But the reasons for his party contesting the polls are well-scripted: Act as a “spoiler” for the main parties,give voice to the 15-lakh strong Tamil community in the city and align itself as a party for the “poor”.

Eleven of the Captain’s best men have come from Tamil Nadu to “support” each of the 11 candidates fielded by the party. On Wednesday,they were busy with preparations to welcome Captain’s wife,Premlatha,who would release the manifesto and meet the Delhi candidates.

In Wazirpur,Ishvari Devi,a 30-year-old resident of the slum,has been chosen as the DMDK candidate.

Ishvari is poor — her candidature affidavit to the Election Commission lists her total worth at Rs 11,000. She goes around on foot asking for votes. With folded hands,she appeals in both Hindi and and Tamil to people to vote for her.

“I was born in this slum,got married at the age of 18 and have four grown-up children. Even the basic right to live with dignity is too much to ask for here. No one has come to our area to clear garbage in the last three months. Innumerable cases of dengue have been reported here. But come elections and we are once again given hollow promises of rehabilitation. We are promised flats which never materialise,” she said.

It was this apathy and a desire to change the living conditions of her fellow dwellers that made her stand for the elections,Ishvari said.

The Wazirpur JJ Colony has over 200 Tamil families. Many of the women here work as domestic helps in Ashok Vihar houses.

One of Captain’s men from Tamil Nadu said,“Delhi has over 15 lakh Tamil voters. These are poor migrants who live in pitiable conditions. This Assembly elections,Captain wants to establish his base in Delhi.”

While he agrees there is is not much hope of winning,he hopes the party grows the way it did in Tamil Nadu since its inception in 2006.

“In 2006,we had fielded candidates in all 234 seats in TN,but won only one seat,the Captain’s. In 2011,we won 29 seats and we look forward to a clear majority —160 seats— in the next TN elections,” the worker said.

Jay Kumar,joint secretary of the Delhi unit of the DMDK,said the 11 constituencies where the party is contesting include R K Puram,Kalkaji,Malviya Nagar,Shakur Basti,Palam,Janakpuri,Trinagar,Jungpura.

“In Wazirpur constituency alone,there are 15,000 Tamils. But we are fighting for all those who are living in JJ clusters,used merely as vote-banks each time elections are here and then forgotten,” Kumar said.