Vikravandi battle a test to Minister’s influence

While the general perception about a by-election is that the ruling party will win the seat comfortably, it remains a fight between the Chief Minister and the Opposition party leader.

But this dimension is missing in Vikravandi Assembly seat in north Tamil Nadu dominated by the Vanniyar community as lower-level leaders are battling it out, admit party functionaries in the AIADMK.

The results of Vikravandi and Nanguneri are not going to change the political dimension of Tamil Nadu, but the Vikravandi seat has become a complete local battle between Law Minister and AIADMK strongman C V Shanmugam crossing swords with DMK veteran and former minister K Ponmudi.

Both the district secretaries have fielded their trusted lieutenants -- M R Muthamizhselvan (AIADMK) and N Pugazhenthi (DMK).

“Shanmugham has already started micromanaging the party poll works and with the AIADMK being the ruling party we have an edge over the DMK,” said a former AIADMK MLA, who is part of the Vikravandi poll management committee.

“Vikravandi Assembly seat is a prestigious issue for AIADMK minister Shanmugham. Our district secretary has managed to be a regional satrap despite the rise of teams led by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and party convener O Panneerselvam,” the AIADMK senior said. To maintain the stakes in the ruling party, Shanmugham is desperate for an AIADMK win. Shanmugham had also buried his political enmity with PMK leader Dr S Ramodoss dating back to 2006 in which the minister’s driver was hacked to death by PMK supporters, the former MLA added.

“Though the Chief Minister and DMK leader MK Stalin will campaign for the party, Vikravandi will be the battle between the local heavyweights coupled with caste equations, particularly the Dalits and the Vanniyars,” opined Poonganagar Selvam, joint secretary, North Chennai MGR Mandram.

The minister has told his supporters that winning the by-poll is crucial for victory in local body polls, noted Selvam.

Meanwhile, the DMK is confident of retaining the seat. “The results are already out and the DMK is retaining the Vikravandi seat. The public is asking the DMK to dislodge the AIADMK government and this will reflect in the Vikravandi seat. Further, our leader MK Stalin is the only acceptable public figure and his campaign will polarise the votes in favour of the DMK,” said DMK legislator Thayagam Kavi. The party is so strong in Villupuram and has been traditionally retaining the Vikravandi seat, Kavi added. The DMK led by Ponmudi is also reaching out to the community heads, headmen of tribal settlements and religious heads in Vikravandi constituency to repeat the victory of Vellore Lok Sabha polls.

The Naam Thaamizhar Katchi had fielded K. Kandasamy and there are 12 candidates in the fray for the October 21 polls.