DMK has reposed its trust on 40-year-old Rani Srikumar, an anaesthetist working with Government Hospital Sankarankovil, by fielding her as the party candidate for Tenkasi (Reserved) parliamentary constituency.
When Mr. Dhanush defeated Puthiya Thamizhagam chief K. Krishnasamy with a whopping margin of 1.20 lakh in 2019, to become the first DMK MP to be elected from Tenkasi (Reserved) segment, it was expected that he would perform well to stamp his mark in this backward constituency with good tourism potential. However, his ‘miserable performance’, as alleged by the Tenkasi voters, made him quite unpopular very soon even among the party workers.
Consequently, the DMK has fielded a novice in politics, who is reportedly a member of the DMK since 2002.
Dr. Rani’s husband G. Srikumar, a government contractor, is the deputy organizer of DMK’s Tenkasi district farmers’ wing and her 83-year-old father Sivakumar, a retired clerk, is DMK’s Sankarankovil union representative. Her uncle P. Durairaj got elected to Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from Sankarankovil in 1967 as DMK candidate and again in 1980 as AIADMK candidate.
Since the AIADMK has allotted Tenkasi segment to Puthiya Thamizhagam, either Dr. Krishnasamy, who has unsuccessfully contested in this constituency on six occasions (1998, 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014 and 2019) or his son Shyam, also a physician, is expected to test his electoral fortune this time. While Dr. Krishnasamy bagged the third spot in 1998, 1999, 2004 and 2009 elections, he improved his performance to come runner-up in the 2014 and 2019 polls. Hence, he is hopeful of further improving PT’s performance this time.
However, the BJP, on its part, is likely to field its electoral ally, Thamizhaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam’s chief and Tirunelveli ‘strongman’ B. John Pandian in Tenkasi constituency, who has significance presence in this segment. Even though the BJP is yet to reveal the constituencies to be allotted to its alliance partners, the TMMK has already started spadework in Tenkasi signaling that the constituency might be allotted to Mr. John Pandian.
Even though technocrat Ananthan Ayyasamy of Vasudevanallur in Tenkasi district, who was working in the United States with Intel and returned to his native place with an eye on politics, was initially rumoured to be the BJP’s choice, the latest developments show that Mr. John Pandian may have the last laugh.
