Clad in a crew neck T-shirt and blue jeans, Senthil Kumar, at Palmgrove Hotel in Chennai, looked like any other customer. Heads turned when a group of people in the lounge stood up to welcome him and he called some of them by name and hugged them.
Dr. Senthil Kumar, a radiologist by training and the newly-elected DMK Member of the Lok Sabha from Dharmapuri, who was in Chennai for party work, set aside some time to meet his friends on social media.
“I invited them for an informal chat over a cup of coffee since I am in Chennai. They have been following me on Twitter and had extended their support for my candidature. I sent out the invitation on Twitter,” said the 41-year-old, who defeated PMK strongman Anbumani Ramadoss with a margin of over 70,000 votes.
His grandfather D.N. Vadivel Gounder, a Congress legislator, agreed to contest in the 1965 election after Chief Minister M. Bhaktavatsalam promised to bifurcate Krishnagiri and create the Dharmapuri district.
“During his two-and-a-half-year tenure, he bought land from private parties and kept it for the government to launch a medical college,” said Dr. Kumar.
After his grandfather, no one from his family had entered politics, and his folks came to know of his joining the DMK only after he released an advertisement on the birthday of party president M.K. Stalin.
“I sought ticket to contest from Dharmapuri because I was confident of winning. But the victory margin came down. I underestimated the PMK’s grip on the constituency. I presented myself as a neutral candidate and never used other identities,” said Dr. Kumar, who runs a diagnostic centre in Dharmapuri.
His views were supported by K. Periyasamy of Iliyanur in Dharmapuri. “The PMK is strong in the constituency. Barring me, my entire family voted for the party. I am an admirer of Anna and Periyar,” he said.
R. Nallulingam, a native of Mecheri in Salem and a member of the MDMK’s media wing, also participated in the meeting and suggested ideas for the development of the constituency.
Sunday’s meeting with the MP’s social media friends covered a wide range of issues, including NEET, the water crisis in Dharmapuri, toll collection on national highways, road facility for tribal areas, improvement of school education and employment opportunities.
“Former DMK MP Thamaraiselvan succeeded in getting an industrial park, but the PMK opposed it. I have to bring it again,” said Dr. Kumar.
He agreed that toll collection was ‘absurd’ since it forced a person to pay money to drive a vehicle in his own country. “Let the government collect more road tax and relieve the ordinary people of the burden of paying toll,” he said.
He said it was a challenge for the DMK and its allies as they had to fight for the rights of the State while sitting on the Opposition benches.
“The more you read Periyar, the better your understanding will be of the social and political dynamics of Tamil Nadu,” he said.
