THENI: It’s cash and caste that will determine the outcome in the election to the Theni parliamentary seat this time. The constituency has seen quite an expensive campaign from three high-profile candidates.
Several voters Express spoke to across the constituency, which is composed of Andipatti, Bodi, Cumbum, Periyakulam, Usilampatti and Sholavanthan Assembly segments, said that they had received money from virtually every party with a candidate in the fray. The main contest, however, is between 39-year-old P Ravindranath Kumar of the AIADMK and 70-year-old EVKS Elangovan of the Congress.
However, it is possibly here more than in any other constituency that the AMMK led by AIADMK rebel TTV Dhinakaran is likely to have an impact.
The AMMK has fielded local strongman and close Dhinakaran aide Thanga Tamilselvan here. Ravindranath’s strength is his father Deputy Chief Minister and AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam.
Panneerselvam, who is also the sitting MLA from Bodi has pulled out all the stops for his son, who was already somewhat known in the region as a district-level party functionary. Elangovan, on the other hand, while well-known in the State is a transplant from Erode.
His strength, however, is his caste – Naidu – and the DMK-Congress vote share arithmetic.
Thanga Tamilselvan has been elected from Andipatti three times although he was disqualified by the Assembly Speaker in 2017. While there is a significant population of Naidus in the constituency, the Thevars or Mukkulathors – Maravar, Piramalai Kallar and Agamudayar – make up most of the population here.
While the Thevars have traditionally voted for the AIADMK, this time, the community’s votes may split by sub-caste as Ravindranath is a Maravar while Thamilselvan is a Kallar. If this happens, Elangovan, who also hopes to consolidate Dalit and minority votes against the BJP-AIADMK alliance, may benefit.
The Theni constituency was formed after delimitation in 2008.
The Assembly segments under it have largely favoured the AIADMK. Before OPS, Jayalalithaa has represented Andipatti twice and Bodi once in the past while AIADMK founder M G Ramachandran has represented Andipatti once.
Nonetheless, in 2009, J M Aaroon Rashid of Congress (ally of DMK) defeated Thanga Tamilselvan, then of the AIADMK, by a mere 6,302 votes. In 2014, R Parthipan of AIADMK, which went it alone, defeated DMK’s Pon Muthuramalingam by a staggering 3,14,532 votes.
Voters Express spoke to strongly indicated that they would prefer to vote for the candidate of their community.
However, many rural voters also felt a need to honour the request of the candidate who had given them cash.
In this context, whatever is the result of the caste + cash equation is likely to influence their final decision, despite the voters of the constituency having specific concerns.
There has been a long-time demand for value-added industries to be set up for grape and mango cultivators.
Similarly, the Sakkaluthumettu road, the foundation stone for which was laid in MGR’s time, has still not been laid.
However, the biggest demand is for the Madurai to Bodi rail line to be restored. The line was suspended for broad gauge conversion in 2010. Almost a decade later, it has only been restored till Usilampatti. A rail line between Dindigal and Kumili is another long-time demand.
EVKS Elangovan, Congress
Will work to create job opportunities for youth, including setting up of a mango juice factory. Tourism in the district will be promoted. Completing broad gauge line between Madurai and Bodi will be prioritised
Thanga Tamil-selvan, AMMKMadurai-Bodi broad gauge conversion works will be completed at the earliest. Water bodies will be desilted and Thipparevu dam will be constructed near Moolavaigai.
A permanent solution will be found for the water crisis in Andipatti area