For the 10-month-old Palanisami government, the bye-election to the crucial RK Nagar constituency would be its first test of popularity
A day after allotting the Two Leaves symbol to the unified AIADMK headed by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and Deputy CM O Panneerselvam, the Election Commission on Friday announced the long-delayed bye-election to the Dr Radhakrishnan (RK) Nagar Assembly constituency, held by late CM J Jayalalithaa, on December 21.
For the 10-month-old Palaniswami government, the bye-election to the crucial RK Nagar constituency would be its first test of popularity. The seat fell vacant after the sudden demise of Jayalalithaa on December 5 last year. The commission had rescinded the bypoll scheduled on April 12 two days before the polling, citing distribution of money power and other allurements in the constituency.
The bye-election comes after the merger of the Palaniswami and the Panneerselvam camps in August this year. The unified AIADMK's presidium chairman E Madhusudanan, who was the candidate of the Panneerselvam camp when earlier scheduled on April 12, has expressed his willingness to contest again.
After losing the symbol, TTV Dinakaran, nephew of jailed VK Sasikala, announced that he would contest the RK Nagar bypoll as his faction enjoy the support of the cadre. "It is not a coincidence that the symbol is allotted to them just 24 hours before the announcement of the date for the bye-elections to RK Nagar," he said, adding it was necessary to send home the incumber regime for the welfare of the people and the state.
Jayalalithaa's niece J Deepa, who floated her own party MGR Jayalalithaa Deepa Peravai, contested the April 12 bypoll claiming the political legacy of her aunt. With the three-way split in the Jayalalithaa's legacy, an interesting contest is on the card in RK Nagar, which is traditionally won by the ruling party in Tamil Nadu.
It would be interesting to see how the opposition parties would face the December 21 bye-election, and whether the DMK would be able to bring together all opposition parties against the ruling AIADMK, which is toeing the lines of the BJP government at the Centre. DMK would be retaining journalist turned politician Marudhu Ganesh as its candidate for the bye-election. Tamil Nadu Congress unit has extended support to the DMK in the bypoll. After contesting alone in the cancelled April 12 bypoll, CPM has moved closer to the DMK with the unified AIADMK inclining towards the BJP and it would decide on its stand on the party's state committee to be held on November 30. Interestingly, the BJP which had fielded the film music composer Ilayaraja's brother Gangai Amaran announced that it would contest again.
The RK Nagar constituency is considered to be a stronghold of the ruling party as it had returned seven AIADMK candidates in 11 elections. Jayalalithaa had won the seat twice. After being disqualified following the conviction in the disproportionate assets case in September 2014, Jayalalithaa contested the June 2015 by-poll to the RK Nagar seat after the Karnataka High Court acquitted her. She again contested from the seat in May 2016.
Jaya fingerprint details sought
The Madras HC on Friday decided to compare former CM J Jayalalithaa’s thumb impression on documents relating to a bypoll last year, with the late leader’s fingerprints available with the Parappana Agrahara jail at Bengaluru. The matter relates to a DMK petition that an AIADMK MLA had obtained it when she was in an unconscious state.
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