Jallikattu boys to fight political bigwigs on Jaya turf
The Jallikattu boys are back – this time as politicians.
And what a better start to this toddler of a political party at just 20 days in age, than to plunge headlong into a battle for the prestigious constituency of RK Nagar that was represented by late chief minister J Jayalalithaa. It has now become a venue for a big fight for Amma’s legacy by her family members and followers.
The youth brigade that powered the Marina Jallikattu uprising was convinced that Tamil Nadu was yearning for a change and riddance of the two dominant Dravidian parties that were seeped in corruption and cut off from the people they represent. The seeds of a new political party – where personality politics took a back seat and the party brand was in the forefront – were sown during the January Jallikattu protests at Marina beach.
The immense popularity of the strictly apolitical nature of the uprising, peopled largely by the youth and the student community cutting across caste and class barriers gave ideas to some to channelise this energy into a potent political force and thus was born 'En Desam En Urimai Katchi' (My Nation My Right party).
It was registered on February 25 and in just 20 days it has began its first electoral contest, taking on the mighty TTV Dinakaran, Sasikala’s nephew and AIADMK deputy general secretary, AIADMK presidium chairman E Madhusudanan (since expelled and now with OPS camp), Jayalalithaa’s niece Deepa Jayakumar and DMK candidate in M Ganesh, a local constituency level leader.
Ebenezer John, a 30-year-old furniture businessman from Chennai, said, “We are elated that the RK Nagar voters give us love and support as the Jallikattu boys. Everyone in Tami Nadu had entertained an impression that the boys and girls in Jallikattu movement were doing good. So, when we began holding small meetings in the constituency, we are getting tremendous support.
People are fed up of the two big parties. Why, the recent happenings in AIADMK have triggered hatred for the party.”
Which is why, “we are rank outsiders, still fancy our chances,” he told Hindustan Times.
At present, MNMR is selecting a candidate for RK Nagar to take on the biggies. At least 75 people expressed their desire to contest the polls.