2019 LS polls: The dummy-game of splitting votes of opponents in Tamil Nadu

MADURAI: In the 2016 Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu, VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan lost from Kattumannarkoil constituency by the narrowest of margins: 87 votes. Curiously, an independent candidate by the name of T Thirumavalavan managed to get 289 votes, effectively robbing the Dalit party of a victory. 

The independent candidate was essentially what is known as a ‘dummy’ candidate in Tamil Nadu. This is a sneaky tactic by which parties get candidates with the same names as their opponents to contest in order to confuse voters and eat into their opponent’s vote. Experts say that the practice came into vogue in Tamil Nadu in the early 1980s.

After ADMK lost to DMK-Congress alliance in the 1980 Lok Sabha elections, the subsequent election for the State Assembly witnessed a few ‘dummy’ independent candidates contesting in the names of popular leaders of Dravidian parties.

Losing votes, even if just in the 100s, to the ‘dummy’ candidates would impact chances of the actual candidate. Dravidian party stalwarts such as VR Nedunchezhiyan, K Anbazhagan and Arcot Veerasamy have all lost votes to such candidates.  In the 1990s, the tactic was commonly used, sometimes even just to ensure a party could have more booth agents during the polling and counting stages. Meanwhile, as public grew aware of this, some with names similar to political party candidates filed their nominations and offered to withdraw the papers if paid off. 

The switch to Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) gave a boost to such tactics as on the machines the size of the candidate’s symbol is smaller than the size of the candidate’s name. In the present Lok Sabha polls, there are three candidates who share the name of AMMK candidate Ponnuthai in Tenkasi constituency. In Assembly bypolls, four independent candidates who share the name of AMMK candidate SG Subramanian are also contesting in Sattur.