already seasoned political campaigners. It is in this list that Jaya Pradha comes. In an all ladies, she edged out Noor Bano, coming back strongly after conceding an early lead. Further north, veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha managed to take out another entertainer Shekhar Suman at Patna Sahib. But, his contemporary star Vinodh Khanna had to face defeat from Gurdaspur. Former action queen Vijayashanthi was victorious from Medak (AP). In the elections that passed, if there is any state that can be a worthy recipient of the ‘giant killer’ tag then it has to be Andhra Pradesh. The major reason is that the assembly elections were held alongside the Lok Sabha polls and the electorate’s verdict is being seen as a sum total of both the results. A host of big names from the film industry had to bite the dust in various parts of Andhra Pradesh and that includes actress Roja. All that notwithstanding, we know that the most interesting part of elections in Andhra Pradesh this time is the presence of Megastar Chiranjeevi. How much of an impact did he have?

Different people are having different opinions about the impact of his entry into politics. It was in the early 80s that NTR entered the political scene, created the TDP and with it created a piece of political history by sweeping the first ever Assembly polls that he faced. His ascent is seen by some as more mercurial and startling than that of MGR. That comparison apart, in 2009 many were comparing Chirajeevi’s entry with that of NTR. By now it has become very clear that times have changed and it is not as simple to grab power in a state. But an impartial evaluation of the Chiranjeevi’s Praja Rajyam in its first ever election would say that it has not done too badly for a beginner. The YSR led Congress has got the numbers that it needs and would not require the support of the Praja Rajyam to form a government. So there is no ‘King Maker’ Chiranjeevi in 2009. But, a handful of seats for a beginner party which chose to stand alone suggest that Megastar’s entry has had an impact, however small it might be. Just like in his movies, it is the expectation of a stunning show that makes the rather credible result look like a damp squib. But, there has also been an indication that star power may not be strongest point of Praja Rajyam with Chiranjeevi himself losing the race in his home town and just about managing in Tirupati (thank God for dual candidature). As for the Lok Sabha elections, the lesser said the better. Praja Rajyam drew a blank. That finally brings us down to Tamil Nadu and another party that drew a blank, the DMDK.

Many would know the DMDK better as Vijayakanth’s party. He is not a newcomer like the Praja Rajyam. Yet, all that could be managed was a blank. Is Vijayakanth’s effort going in vain? Is he becoming a non-factor in Tamil Nadu politics? Yes, would be the obvious answer to the above questions. But, that is the direct and easy way of looking at things. There have been reports that Vijayakanth is in fact making inroads into the electorate of the state. His vote share has increased from 2006, though it is yet to result in a seat in the Lok Sabha. He could possibly be splitting the votes of established rivals, thus having an indirect but telling impact on the results. In the years to come, Vijayakanth will be a force to reckon with in Tamil Nadu’s political fortunes.

A few other actors who did float parties cut sorry figures in spite of having strong partners in alliance. This includes Sarath Kumar and Karthik Muthuraman. Their parties are too young and it is too early to say a lot about their (non) performance.

But, the big gainers from Kollywood are those who took tickets of the big parties. This includes Napolean who got a pretty handsome margin and has openly declared that he would give up acting for the next 5 years after completing current commitments. The surprise packet however was ‘Nayagan’ J.K. Ritheesh who got a very convincing margin. We have not known him for long as an actor, nor did we have any clue about his plans to plunge into mainstream politics. But, he did it with more than a meager degree of success.

Big names have faltered while some smaller and newer names have found their feet, that is how Kollywood has fared in the elections this time round. One thing is clear; the pecking order in tinsel town becomes inconsequential at the ballot.