Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader Thol Thirumavalavan, who pulled off a coup of sorts by fielding Prof. Vasanthi Devi, an apolitical academician-cum-activist, to take on AIADMK leader and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa in the RK Nagar Assembly constituency, on Saturday deemed it an honour that the latter had agreed to take on the challenge.
Introducing Vasanthi Devi as ‘Muthalvarai yeathirthu Munaivar’ (CM vs Professor) at a public meeting in RK Nagar, the VCK leader said before choosing to field her, he had asked the academician if she was reluctant to contest against Ms Jayalalithaa. “She replied that it was Ms Jayalalithaa who made her Vice Chancellor of Manonmaniam Sundaranar University twice and also appointed her the Chairperson of the Tamil Nadu State Women’s Commission. In the same breath, she said, ideology is more important than friendship,” Mr. Thirumavalavan recounted.
The VCK leader clarified that he did not pick Ms. Vasanthi with the single objective of defeating Ms. Jayalalithaa but “our goal is to uproot the rule of corruption.” He deemed it a honour for his party and the third front that a “visionary personality” like Ms. Vasanthi had agreed to contest the election on their behalf. He quipped that Ms. Vasanthi was “our Amma”, a moniker that is used by Ms. Jayalalithaa’s supporters.
Promising that she will be made a minister of a key portfolio, if the third front forms the government, he described her “Tamil Nadu’s Kejriwal”.
Ms. Vasanthi, thanking the party for nominating her, said, “Though I follow a different political ideology, I agreed to contest on a VCK ticket for the larger public cause.”
Calling upon the gathering to bring an end to the 50-year-old corrupt Dravidian politics, she said, “Still the steering wheel of democracy is in your hands.”
Stating that there is not a single person in the State who is not a victim of corruption, she said it was time and the last opportunity to show the corrupt that there was an alternative that can bring in change. “RK Nagar is considered as the first constituency of the State since the Chief Minister is contesting here. But over 90 per cent of people in the constituency are living below poverty line, without a proper job. It is shocking to know that this constituency has most number of widows who lost their husbands to alcohol,” she said. Contending that it would be a betrayal to the society and their family if any woman of this constituency votes for DMK or the AIADMK, Ms. Vasanthi said, “Don’t think that I am an old lady, I am ready to lead our protest to ensure our rights. The State is marching towards a new political culture, that guarantees true people’s democracy and I request you to support it.”
State secretaries of the CPI (Mutharasan) and CPI-M (Ramakrishnan) were among the speakers.
