NAME THE TROUBLE!

In at least 24 constituencies, candidates of major alliances face challenge from their namesakes contesting as independents

- K EZHILARASAN

ELECTION is not just a game of numbers, as is widely regarded, but one of names too, as has been proved several times in the past when the candidates of major political parties saw themselves pitted against their namesake contesting as independents. This Lok Sabha election is no different as at least 24 of the total 39 constituencies in the state has at least one independent candidate contesting directly against their more popular namesake from the major alliances.

While it is known that such independent candidates may not be able to garner significant number of votes, they sometimes play a crucial role in turning around poll outcomes. A case in point is the 2016 Assembly election when VCK founder Thol Thirumavalavan lost from Kattumannarkoil constituency by a margin of 87 votes. An independent candidate sharing the VCK leader's name secured 289 votes then, overturning the results.

Of course, some cases may be dismissed as coincidence but surely not all. Several of them prove fodder for suspicions that they are deliberately fielded by the rival camps to split votes.