AMMA WARS PART 2 IN TAMIL NADU
The contest for the RK Nagar assembly seat will decide the AIADMK’s future
The upcoming by-election in Radhakrishnan (RK) Nagar, the assembly constituency till recently represented by J. Jayalalithaa, could well be the clincher in the raging fight for the late Tamil Nadu chief minister’s political legacy.
Expected to be a major face-off between the two AIADMK factions led by the convicted
V.K. Sasikala and O. Panneerselvam, the bypoll, slated for April 12, will determine which group holds sway with the party’s support base. This also comes in the wake of competing claims to Jayalalithaa’s Poes Garden residence and the party’s other assets, including AIADMK’s familiar ‘two leaves’ election symbol.
Analysts say the symbol is likely to remain unavailable to either faction, as any decision by the Election Commission is certain to be challenged in court. This could make the battle for RK Nagar even fiercer.
THE BY-POLL, SLATED FOR APRIL 12, WILL DETERMINE WHO HOLDS SWAY WITH THE PARTY’S BASE
Both factions have influential former legislators from the constituency in their camps. P. Vetrivel, who vacated the seat to allow Jayalalithaa to contest it in 2015, is leading the Sasikala faction’s campaign. E.
Madhusudhanan, who was chairman of the party’s presidium until Sasikala took charge, is with OPS. Adding to the mix, Jayalalithaa’s niece, Deepa Jayakumar, has also jumped into the fray. Insisting that she declared her “intention to contest the by-poll from day one”, Jayakumar, who says she’ll accept support from all barring the DMK and the Sasikala faction, is evidently hoping OPS will host her.
Claiming majority support from the AIADMK cadres, OPS sees the RK Nagar by-election as an opportunity to prove his credentials. He is reportedly undecided on whether to field a seasoned campaigner or go with a political greenhorn who shares a bloodline with Jayalalithaa. However, given that many party supporters are vocal about their aversion to Sasikala, many believe OPS may eventually have little option but to back Jayakumar.
Watching from the sidelines, DMK leaders are delighted. Having consistently lost RK Nagar since 2001, DMK’s working president M.K. Stalin senses an opportunity. “To restore faith in democracy and teach this proxy regime a fitting lesson, all Opposition parties should back the DMK candidate,” he said. The party has already petitioned the EC seeking a transfer of Chennai police commissioner S. George for being “pro-AIADMK”.
Meanwhile, the fledgling Tamil Nadu BJP unit plans to present itself as an alternative to the Dravidian parties. BJP chief Tamilisai Soundararajan is all set to join the contest, but political analysts say this would only divide the anti-AIADMK votes further.