CUDDALORE: The choice of three DMK candidates in the district has led the party cadre here to believe that the district secretary played a major role in finalising the nominees.
This could be gauged from the fact that DMK district secretary and former minister M R K Paneer Selvam has been made the nominee for the Kurinjipadi constituency.
His nephew K R Senthil Kumar has been declared the candidate for the Chidambaram seat. And the maternal uncle of Senthil Kumar’s wife, Thanga Anandhan has been given the opportunity to contest the Virudhachalam constituency.
This is quite contrary to the notion that prevailed at the time of interviewing the candidates during which district secretaries were kept out.
Lamenting the choice, party cadre said, “This candidates’ list clearly shows the extent of influence that MRK Paneer Selvam exerted on the leadership. When the party leaders interviewed the aspirants at Anna Arivalayam, the district secretaries were not allowed to sit in the interview panel. We assumed that move was to allow the party leadership a free hand to choose fresh and capable candidates. But now we have realized that the party high command hasn’t changed.”
The other candidates in the district are Saba Rajendhran (Neyveli), V Ganesan (Thittagudi-Reserved), Durai K Saravanan (Bhuvanagiri) and Ela Pugalendhi (Cuddalore).
Party cadre further said, “Former MLA Ela Pugalendhi is also not capable enough to compete against Minister M C Sampath of the AIADMK. Moreover, Pugalendhi is contesting from the same constituency for the fourth consecutive time. This has upset us. A fresh candidate should have been given the opportunity.”
“Saba Rajendhran will probably give a tough fight to AIADMK in Neyveli since TVK is not allied to the AIADMK. Earlier, TVK founder Velmurugan was tipped to contest the Neyveli seat, as part of the AIADMK alliance. Now, the equation has changed there,” they opined.