Rahul’s girl raises banner of revolt

Chennai

Jothimani has threatened to enter the poll fray as an independent candidate from Aravakurichi constituency held by DMK’s K C Palanisamy.

The adamant Congress spokesperson who unsuccessfully contested from Karur Parliamentary constituency earlier, also accused her state party president of not even staking a claim for Aravakurichi seat.

Jothimani dragged her party vice president Rahul Gandhi’s name to her defence by alleging that Elangovan gave up Aravakurichi despite Rahul instructing him to secure the seat for her. She also claimed that she had launched her poll campaign in the rural Karur seat only with Elangovan’s consent earlier.

However, Sathyamurthy Bhavan sources dismissed her allegations and said, “It was decided not to ask each other’s sitting seats. We retained our five seats, they their 21 seats. That being the agreement, how does she expect the leadership to ask for their sitting seat? What can Rahul do?”

As it is, the articulate Congress spokesperson, a regular on TV debates, may have overdone it a bit by questioning the credentials of the DMK sitting MLA. “We have taken up the matter with Rahul ji ’s office. We will not be surprised if she gets expelled from the party for the indiscipline,” said a party source.

Congress insiders’ warning may not have been misplaced if one were to factor in the messages posted on Facebook by Jothimani’s well-wishers, who themselves have called it “intemperate” and “hasty action” that could ruin her political career. In a scenario where seats reserved for women and Dalits are decided on a rotation basis by the Election Commission, Jothimani may have gone a tad too far, and that too by banking on just one constituency.