The Kavundampalayam Assembly constituency where the AIADMK and DMK are in the fray is likely to witness an interesting battle.
The AIADMK has fielded incumbent V.C. Arukutty. The DMK has given a chance to Kalapatty strongman R. Krishnan alias Paiya Gounder. The two now stand politically opposed to one another but until a few years ago, the two were friends and business partners.
Sources familiar with their growth say that their friendship is over two decades old as the two were into real estate business in and around Kalapatti. Mr. Arukutty is a native of Vilankurichi, which is just west of Kalapatti.
They both hail from the Gounder community and are said to be distant relatives. But more than that, the two were partners in real estate. But before becoming partners, they helped one another in the business and that is how they grew closer to turn partners, the sources say.
Mr. Arukutty’s profile says that he is into real estate business. The friendship continued even after Mr. Arukutty entered into politics.
He became a member of the Vilankurichi Panchayat in 1986. Sources say that the friendship continued because then only he was into politics and Mr. Krishnan was not.
Sources close to Mr. Arukutty say that when he contested for the S.S. Kulam panchayat board president election, Mr. Krishnan helped him as the two had forged a strong bonding.
The friendship in real estate business also extended to the liquor business as the two had partnered in running liquor shops, when individuals were legally permitted to run liquor shops in Tamil Nadu before the State took over the same under the banner TASMAC, say sources.
Mr. Arukutty, however, sought to downplay the partnership saying he knew Mr. Krishnan and was close to him as they hailed from neighbouring villages. Mr. Krishnan says he had only helped Mr. Arukutty in real estate business but not in liquor trade.
He too sought to downplay the friendship as the two are politically opposed to one another. Mr. Krishnan too entered politics when he contested the local body election twice in Kalapatti and was elected chairperson twice. He later joined the DMK. Sources close to the two say they are only politically opposed.
They both hail from the Gounder community and are said to be distant relatives
