THENI: Famed for its entrepreneurial farmers, who are not averse to taking risks and trying out anything new, Theni, however is different when it comes to politics. The region remains an AIADMK fortress as the party’s support base remains intact. Assembly poll 2016 has once again proved this. The AIADMK had bagged all the four seats in the district — Andipatti, Periyakulam, Bodinayakkanur and Cumbum.
In the other southern districts, the opposition DMK and its ally Congress have gained a substantial number of seats. But, proving opinion polls and exit polls, the district continues to be a pocket borough of the AIADMK.
The love affair started way back in 1983 when AIADMK founder and former Chief Minister MG Ramachandran contested from Andipatti and won by a margin of over 32,484 votes. There was no looking back since then and the MGR magic and the sway of the two-leaves symbol makes the AIADMK invincible.
Quite surprisingly, many elderly women refused to believe that their icon, MGR, had died.
Following her mentor’s footsteps, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had earlier successfully contested from Bodinayakkanur and Andipatti. She had represented Andipatti in the Assembly twice, helping to cement the party’s base.
Explaining the AIADMK’s hold over the district, Abbas, president of Periyar-Vaigai Farmers’ Association, says Jayalalithaa government had successfully fought a legal battle to hike the storage to 142 ft in the Mullaiperiyar dam. Her government’s efforts would eventually help restore the storage to the original 152 ft. The extension of the 18th canal project has been welcomed by people, he added.Among the projects that Jayalalithaa had brought to the district included the Government medical college in Theni and widening of the Madurai to Theni and Batlagundu to Kumuli road.
Muruganantham (57) of Bodi, a farmer, said by electing two CMs the backward district had found a place in the political map of the country. Now, farmers are hopeful that Jaya would set up cold storages and a facilities and a paddy procurement centre.
