KN Nehru struggles as DMDK splits votes

Tiruchy: One of the satraps of the DMK and party’s strongman in the Central region K.N. Nehru is locked in a tight contest with his AIADMK rival in Tiruchy West constituency here with memories of losing  a similar battle narrowly in 2001.

This is a battle for survival for Nehru facing a young contender within the party for the region’s supremacy Mahesh Poyyamozhi , who has entered the electoral race in the same district. A defeat for Nehru and a victory for Mahesh will mean the end of the road for the former minister controlling the party for the last two decades.

Three factors -  a tough AIADMK rival, split in votes caused by the DMDK candidate and the challenge posed by mentor and former minister N. Selvaraj, who is in the AIADMK camp - are making the going tough for him in his key fight to stay afloat in politics.

Nehru lost to the AIADMK in 2001 Assembly elections by a thin margin of 610 votes in Lalgudi when an MDMK candidate split the votes and secured 4,665 votes which is more than the victory margin. Similar circumstances prevail in Tiruchy West now, with the DMDK fielding Joseph Jerald in an area where Christians form a sizeable chunk of the population. He has the support of the MDMK which has polled 10 per cent votes in the corporation elections here in 2011 and the Left parties too have some support in the city. The more the DMDK candidate cuts into Nehru’s vote share, tougher will be the task for Nehru.

Nehru, a state minister thrice, emerged as the top leader in the DMK when his mentor and former minister N. Selvaraj along with another key DMK leader Malarmannan walked away with Vaiko in 1994. Selvaraj, who returned to the DMK was not able to regain his lost position in the DMK and was sidelined by Nehru.

Furious with Nehru for continuously blocking his way, Selvaraj had joined the AIADMK and working hard against to defeat Nehru. Selvaraj belongs to the dominant Mutharayar community and an insider who knows the party structure, functioning and workers in the city.

AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa has made the task harder for Nehru by fielding district secretary and party whip R. Manoharan against the DMK strongman. Manoharan has about four decades of experience and has held various posts in the party.

Tiruchy West was carved out from Trichy-2 in the 2011 Assembly elections in which AIADMK candidate N. Mariam Pitchai won and was given the minister’s post. He died in an accident before assuming office. In the by-elections that followed, AIADMK nominee N. Paranjothi defeated Nehru by a margin of 14,068 cotes and became a minister.