Dinakaran choice, a shot in the arm for O Panneerselvam’s camp

Dinakaran’s name had been doing the rounds for a few days in this connection. Sources in the OPS camp said that now TTV and his team will have their work cut out to ensure a win as they cannot bank on the sympathy factor as the constituency, which the late CM Jayalalithaa nurtured well, will not vote for the relative of a person whom a majority - especially women – feel was the reason for their ‘Amma’s’ demise. 

The announcement has come as a shot in the arm for the former chief minister O Paneerselvam faction who plan to announce their candidate on Thursday. A delegation of 12 leaders, including OPS were in New Delhi on Wednesday to personally voice their views on the issue of Sasikala’s general secretaryship to the Election Commission. 

Party spokesperson and former minister C Ponnayan told DTNext, “We were praying that Dinakaran be announced as the candidate by the Sasikala faction as it makes our job of winning very easy.” 

On who was likely to be chosen, Ponnayan said, “RK Nagar, though a small constituency, has Vanniars and SC in equal measure followed by the Telugu community which consists of many sub sects. There area also has a sizeable Christian presence too.” Elaborating, he added that many want former minister KP Munusamy to contest while the Christian community wants former MLA JCD Prabakar to contest.