SALEM: Even though the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) failed to secure a victory in any of the 11 Assembly constituencies in Salem, and all its candidates having lost their deposits, a few of the party's candidates have now decided to plant saplings and seedlings corresponding to the number of votes they received in their respective constituencies, saying the initiative is intended to remain connected with the people while also contributing towards environmental protection.
NTK had contested in all 11 constituencies in Salem during the recently concluded Assembly elections, but none managed to emerge victorious. Altogether, the party candidates secured a combined vote count of 77,596 across the district. Among them, the highest number of votes was polled by the party's Edappadi candidate A Priyadharshini with 8,450 votes.
Following the election results, three candidates — Salem North candidate M Gunaseela, Salem West candidate R Sureshkumar and Edappadi candidate A Priyadharshini — have decided to plant saplings matching the exact number of votes they received in the elections. Gunaseela secured 6,450 votes in Salem North, while Sureshkumar polled 6,820 votes in Salem West. Party sources said the initiative taken up by the three candidates has also encouraged a few other NTK candidates in the district to contemplate carrying out similar plantation drives in their constituencies.
Speaking to the TNIE, Priyadharshini said, "We fully accept the people's mandate, but that does not mean we would stop our political engagement with the constituency after the elections. One of the key ideologies of our party has always been environmental protection and creating awareness about nature conservation, and we are seeing this as an opportunity to give back to the people and to the environment. I secured 8,450 votes, and I am planning to plant 8,450 saplings and personally ensure that they are maintained properly. Along with party cadres and volunteers, we will be taking up the plantation drive in and around Edappadi. Everyone living here is our people, not only those who voted for us, and we want this initiative to benefit everyone," she said.
Similarly, Gunaseela said that election campaign had helped her understand the everyday difficulties faced by people in the constituency. "I campaigned in this constituency continuously for around 96 days and met people directly through extensive door-to-door campaigning. In several areas, even basic civic facilities are still lacking, and especially women shared many grievances and concerns that have remained unresolved for years. We are planning to plant saplings around the Mookaneri Lake area," she said.
Sureshkumar said that while the party expected a better vote share, the election outcome would not distance them from the people. "It is true that we expected a higher number of votes, but we still remain among the people and continue to work on the ground. The needs of the people need not necessarily be addressed only by MLAs or MPs, we can still contribute in whatever way possible," he said.
