TIRUCHY: It is usual for the political observers to look for traits of dynasty whenever DMK’s candidate list is out, but this time around, AIADMK has come up with a list with many ‘local dynasts’.
Right from the candidate of Sriperumpudur in the north of TN till the one in Thoothukudi in the southern side, AIADMK has fielded the sons and close relatives of the party’s local heavyweights in many constituencies. This was never the case in the party till the former CM J Jayalalithaa was alive. When she was heading the party, AIADMK candidate list would always spring a surprise as it features the names of grassroots-level cadre. Now that has become a thing of the past.
For instance, the AIADMK’s list for 2024 poll features many local dynasts - D Lokesh Tamilselvan for Nilgiris, G Premkumar for Sriperumpudur, P Babu for Mayliaduthurai, R Ashokan for Dharmapuri, Sivasamy Velumani of Thoothukudi and a few others.
Lokesh Tamilselvan has been fielded in Nilgiris against DMK’s deputy general secretary A Raja and BJP’s union minister of state L Murugan. Former minister D Jayakumar’s son Dr J Jayavardhan, who is also a former MP, has been fielded again in the South Chennai constituency against DMK’s Thamizhachi Thangapandian and BJP’s Tamilisai Soundararajan.
Sriperumpudur candidate Dr G Premkumar is the son of Poovai M Gnanam who once headed the Poonamallee municipality. He will be facing DMK treasurer TR Baalu in Sriperumpudur.
Similarly in Dharmapuri, the AIADMK fielded Dr R Ashokan, son of Pookkadai Ravi who is the Dharmapuri town secretary of the party. Ashokan, who had been a faculty in the Dharmapuri medical college hospital, has resigned from the post to enter the fray. He is facing a tough challenge from advocate A Mani of DMK and also from BJP alliance as the constituency is a PMK stronghold that once elected Anbumani Ramadoss to the Lok Sabha .
Likewise, Mayiladuthurai candidate of the party P Babu is the son of party’s district secretary and former MLA S Pavunraj who wields significant influence in the region.
Coming to the southern side, R Sivasamy Velumani is the candidate for Thoothukudi where DMK’s sitting MP Kanimozhi is in the fray.
A Thoothukudi resident said, “Sivasami Velumani is actually holding the party post in Chennai. He has been taken to his native of Thoothukudi as the party’s candidate by former minister and district secretary SP Shunmuganathan. Sivasami is Shunmuganathan’s nephew.”
Talking to TNIE, Tamilselvan of Sriperumputhur constituency said, “When Jayalalitha was leading the party, all the party cadre were the same. She could pick any one and give him/her an opportunity. Now, the local AIADMK heavyweights want to transfer the power to their next generations. That is why they are fielding their sons although they are not active in politics”