RK Nagar, a battle of supremacy for parties

Political critics feel that the RK Nagar by-election will decide the fate of state politics in the coming years. While former CM O Panneerselvam’s team celebrated Jayalalithaa’s birth anniversary recently in a grand manner by extending several welfare benefits to the voters, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisamy, Ministers and prominent office-bearers of the party took part in a function on Saturday. 

Needless to say, Leader of Opposition (LoP) Stalin’s recent high-decibel birthday in RK Nagar was a pointer to the fact that the DMK is also trying to wrest the constituency from the ruling AIADMK. In addition, Deepa Jayakumar, Jayalaithaa’s niece, had already announced that she would contest the by-election in RK Nagar. “The DMK has already won the hearts of the people of the constituency and we will win the by-election. Chennai has already become a DMK’s fortress and this victory will strengthen our hold on the city,” said a DMK cadre. 

People were witnessing the ugly rift between the AIADMK groups and the recent SC order has exposed that the leaders of that party were corrupt, he added. However, the present government, which is firm to retain the RK Nagar seat, registered its entry by conducting a big meeting on Saturday. “We do not conduct such meetings to draw attention of the voters like other parties do, since it is a government’s responsibility to implement welfare schemes, we have done this today,” said an AIADMK functionary. K Muthuvel, a resident of New Washermenpet, says, “I will decide to vote after evaluating the political situation at the time of the poll. I have been watching the political turmoil after the demise of Jayalalithaa and will vote for the right party.” He also pointed out that many parts of the RK Nagar constituency were often witnessing high political activity after January 2017. 

A Mani, an auto driver in the area, said, “Yes, we can see the walls getting infested with posters hailing prominent political leaders and party flags being lined up on the medians on arterial roads.” Political observers are quick to point out that the RK Nagar by-poll would be different from the past elections. 

Political analyst S Ravindran Duraisamy says “Surely, the by-poll will decide the destiny of the parties in the state. In the poll, the main opponent to DMK will be MGR Amma Deepa Peravai, launched by Deepa Jayakumar. However, things will turn, if Deepa joins hands with OPS.”  Asked, whether AIADMK general secretary Sasikala’s imprisonment would be a setback to the EPS faction, Ravindran’s reply was a firm ‘yes.’