CHENNAI: The RK Nagar (Radhakrishnan Nagar) Assembly constituency, where a by-poll is scheduled for April 12, is heading for an electrifying fight as battlelines have been drawn with the announcement of candidates by the Dravidian parties.
While the deputy general secretary of VK Sasikala faction of AIADMK, TTV Dinakaran, has preferred to test his electoral fortunes, as widely speculated before the formal announcement, in the segment which had elected the late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa twice, the principal opposition party DMK has named a rookie N Maruthu Ganesh.
The rebel AIADMK, led by former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, has chosen to field its presidium chairman E Madhusudhanan, a staunch loyalist of Jayalalithaa and her mentor and party founder MGR.
With Deepa Jayakumar, niece of Jayalalithaa and founder of MGR Amma Deepa Peravai (MGR ADP) taking a plunge into the election arena, the poll field is hotting up.
Predominantly populated by workers and daily wage earners, the constituency, that gained VVIP status after Jayalalithaa contested here, is in the limelight ever since the announcement of the by-election.
“Political party leaders have started holding indoor meetings. Vehicles bearing party flags are speeding on the roads. Our constituency is in the spotlight again” said Arivazhagan of Washermanpet.
With a little above 2.5 lakh voters, RK Nagar is an AIADMK bastion since 1977. The party candidates have won seven times, including the 2015 by-election, while the DMK and Congress have tasted victory twice each.
Dinakaran may be looking for reaping advantage by riding on Jayalalithaa’s popularity and the ruling party’s welfare schemes. The DMK is pinning its hopes on capitalising the polarisation caused by the split in AIADMK following its leader’s death.
Political observers say the septuagenarian leader Madhusudhanan will make both Dinakaran and Maruthu Ganesh run for their money. Deepa too cannot be dismissed as the party voters are seeing a Jayalalithaa in her due to her resemblance of her aunt.