THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary- December 26, 2017- Topic 1

Cash and churn: on the R.K. Nagar bypoll result

Sometimes a war can be won only by withdrawing from a battlefront. The real surprise in the R.K. Nagar Assembly by-election in Tamil Nadu was not the victory of the rebel AIADMK candidate T.T.V. Dhinakaran, contesting as an independent, but the third- place finish of the DMK candidate Marudu Ganesh. Instead of benefiting from the split in the AIADMK support base, the DMK appears to have suffered a huge erosion in its vote bank. 

There is no obvious explanation for the poor showing; not even the alleged cash distribution by the two AIADMK groups can account for the sudden dip in the DMK’s share of the vote resulting in the candidate forfeiting his deposit. But it may be worth keeping in mind that winning the seat would have meant nothing for the DMK, whether in the short term or in the long term. What the runaway victory of Mr. Dhinakaran does is sow the seeds of confusion in the ranks of the AIADMK; it even has the potential to bring down the government led by Edappadi K. Palaniswami. Many of the MLAs and MPs in the ruling faction of the AIADMK owe their allegiance to Mr. Dhinakaran and the Sasikala family. But they chose to back Mr. Palaniswami only because they did not want mid-term Assembly elections, and they were not sure of the voter acceptability of the Sasikala family. Thus, the R.K. Nagar result could set off another round of churn in the AIADMK; many of the MLAs may now see the Sasikala family as the only force that could keep the party together and command wider voter support. The worst-case scenario for the DMK was a victory for the official AIADMK candidate E. Madhusudhanan. That would have strengthened the hands of Chief Minister Palaniswami, and ensured the continuance of his government. The Dhinakaran victory may be a loss in the immediate term, but for the DMK it could be a blessing in the medium term, allowing it a shot at returning to power through a mid-term election.

As for the ruling AIADMK faction though, it will have to deal with the consequences of this political setback. Despite having won the battle for the party name and the election symbol, the fight for political legitimacy is far from over. Once the Dhinakaran faction attains a critical mass, the ruling camp may see desertions on a large scale. Clearly, fielding the elderly and feeble Mr. Madhusudhanan against Mr. Dhinakaran was a bad idea. And although the official group tried its best to match Mr. Dhinakaran in electioneering, the voters opted for the opportunity to set off a political churn. The ruling faction of the AIADMK spent too much time putting out the internal fires in the party and too little on governance. The result in R.K. Nagar might not be the final word on the political legitimacy of the Sasikala family, but the voters have surely set Tamil Nadu on the path of a prolonged period of political instability.

Vocabulary

Split: a tear, crack, or fissure in something, especially down the middle or along the grain.

Example: Light squeezed through a small split in the curtain

Synonyms: crack, fissure, cleft, crevice, break, fracture, breach

Erosion: the process of eroding or being eroded by wind, water, or other natural agents.

Example: The problem of soil erosion

Forfeit: lose or be deprived of (property or a right or privilege) as a penalty for wrongdoing.

Example: Those unable to meet their taxes were liable to forfeit their property

Allegiance: loyalty or commitment of a subordinate to a superior or of an individual to a group or cause.

Example: Those wishing to receive citizenship must swear allegiance to the republic

Synonyms: loyalty, faithfulness, fidelity, obedience, homage, devotion, fealty, troth

Acceptability: the quality of being tolerated or allowed.

Example: What has changed is the social acceptability of such actions

Strengthen: make or become stronger.

Example: He advises an application of fluoride to strengthen the teeth

Synonyms: fortify, make strong/stronger, build up, give strength to

Continuance: a postponement or adjournment.

Example: If this man's testimony is important, I will grant a continuance

Synonyms: adjournment, postponement, deferment, stay

Consequence: a result or effect of an action or condition.

Example: Many have been laid off from work as a consequence of the administration's policies

Synonyms: result, upshot, outcome, effect, repercussion, ramification, corollary

Attain: succeed in achieving something that one desires and has worked for.

Example: Clarify your objectives and ways of attaining them

Synonyms: achieve, accomplish, reach, obtain, gain, procure, secure, get, hook, net

Feeble: lacking physical strength, especially as a result of age or illness.

Example: My legs are very feeble after the flu

Synonyms: weak, weakly, weakened, frail, infirm, delicate, sickly, ailing

Churn: agitate or turn in a machine in order to produce.

Example: The cream is ripened before it is churned

Synonyms: stir, agitate, beat, whip, whisk

Legitimacy: conformity to the law or to rules.

Example: Refusal to recognize the legitimacy of both governments

Instability: lack of stability.

Example: Political and economic instability

Synonyms: unreliability, uncertainty, unpredictability, insecurity, riskiness, impermanence

Prolong: extend the duration of.

Example: An idea that prolonged the life of the engine by many years

Synonyms: lengthen, extend, draw out, drag out, protract, spin out, stretch out