TIRUCHY: Congress cadre in Tiruchy revenue district have accused the DMK of violating ‘coalition dharma’ by silently encouraging Independent candidates in the segments from where the Congress candidates are contesting.
Of the nine Assembly segments in Tiruchy Revenue District, the DMK retained seven and allotted two to its ally Congress.
While DMK ministers KN Nehru and N Selvaraj are contesting from Tiruchy West and Manachanallur respectively, the other segments - Srirangam, Tiruchy East, Thiruverumbur, Lalgudi and Thuraiyur (SC) are also with the party.
It is alleged that minister Nehru, a trusted lieutenant of DMK president and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, is working subterraneously against the Congress candidates of Manapparai and Musiri by encouraging Independents who are popular among voters of both segments.
The Congress had fielded Suba Somu in Manappari, who is lesser-known among the voters of the constituency and Thottiyam MLA M Rajasekar in Musiri, who had won with a difference of just 53 votes in the 2006 Assembly elections.
In Manapparai, Professor K Ponnusamy, former minister for education in Jayalalithaa’s ministry in 1991, who later switched loyalities to the DMK, was refused a party ticket this time and filed his papers as Independent candidate from Manapparai.
But Ponnusamy’s supporters, most of whom are with the DMK, have started to work for him across the segment.
It is alleged that minister Nehru had given the green signal to supporters of Ponnusamy to ‘root out’ the Congress from the district.
Similar is the case of Musiri Congress candidate M Rajasekar, who is facing an Independent strong force K Kannaiyan, a former DMK MLA.
However, both Ponnusamy and Kannaiyan sounded cautious about their relationship with the DMK.
“I have not gone to my constituency yet and so I don’t know the pulse of the people and the supporters who work for me,” Ponnusamy said.
