PUDUCHERRY: The ruling Congress and its splinter All India NR Congress (AINRC) are locked in a direct contest for the October 21 bye-election in the Kamaraj Nagar constituency, which is going to the polls for only the third time since its creation in 2006.
The Congress won here in both 2011 and 2016, with V Vaithilingam defeating his rivals by huge margins. Vaithilingam vacated the seat to successfully contest in the recent Parliamentary elections. While neither the AINRC nor its allies have fared well in the last two elections, the party is determined to win the seat with the support of AIAMDK and BJP. This is the first time the party has joined hands with the BJP.
The Congress candidate A John Kumar (54) was elected from Nellithope in the 2016 Assembly polls and was Parliamentary Secretary to Chief Minister V Narayanasamy. He vacated his seat to allow Narayanasamy to contest and win as the latter was not an MLA when he became CM.
The AINRC candidate Bouvanesvarane (53) is a realtor and long-time party supporter. Congress and DMK are leaving no stone unturned to win in the urban constituency in which 60% of the voters are well-off.
Rangasamy, who has never directly campaigned in here before, is now going door to door to canvass. Meanwhile, Narayanasamy himself is leading the campaign. The government’s success in maintaining law and order and providing basic infrastructure are also part of his campaign.
However the party’s main strength is the popularity of Vaithilingam here. Vaithilingam has nurtured the constituency since 2008-2009 when he was CM. Besides, he remains accessible and responsive to the people.