Know your Candidate: E Madhusudhanan

He is a seasoned politician from north Chennai. He served as a handloom minister during the chief ministership of J. Jayalalithaa, after winning the Radhakrishnan Nagar constituency in 1991 election.

The hardcore MGR loyalist had always been a strong critic of DMK and its first family. Recently, he joined the faction led by O. Panneerselvam and his candidature is not a surprise. Fondly called as Madhu annan among political circles, he had been a resident of north Chennai for more than 50 years and is a popular figure among with people who enjoy a brush with the law.

In 2000, Jayalalithaa removed him from the post of party propaganda secretary and then he became the party's Anaithulaga MGR Fan clubwing secretary. In 2010, Madhusudhanan was retained as party presidium chairman and continued the post till split in the AIADMK post Jayalalithaa's demise.

Madhusudhanan was first elected to legislative assembly in 1991 from R K Nagar. He defeated V Rajasekaran of Janata Party by a margin of 25,000 votes. In 1989, he contested under faction led by Jayalalithaa and lost the polls to DMK's Sargunam in R K Nagar. Throughout his political career, he enjoined party posts ranging from district secretary to the coveted post of presidium chairman.

Strengths:
Son of the soil who knows his constituency well. Enjoys good rapport with political representatives of all parties including the opposition DMK. His simplicity and grass root contacts will become handy

The "two leaves" symbol, if frozen, could help him win more votes

Weaknesses:

Has political enmity with several AIADMK and DMK functionaries. Diabetic patient for several decades and age is not on in his side. Lacks money power when compared with AIADMK's candidate TTV Dhinakaran.

If Jayalalithaa's niece Deepa Jayakumar enters in to the poll she may eat in to the anti-Sasikala votes, which Madhusudhanan is eyeing.

( Compiled by C.S. Kotteswaran)