Changing candidates has come to stay during polls

Chennai: Pre-poll convulsions that are usual in every political party during elections are in full flow this time around in Tamil Nadu too. Though dissent over candidates’ selection and other issues is prevalent in every other political party, including ruling AIADMK, opposition DMK has hogged the headlines this election.

This is probably for the first time that DMK had to revise its candidate list the fourth time, by changing candidates in as many as four constituencies, bringing to the fore the differences and the dissent within the party.

In fact, party chief M. Karunanidhi himself acknowledged there has been a lot of opposition to a few candidates of the party and repented not giving seats to kin of party veterans K Anbazhagan, ‘Arcot’ N. Veerasamy and L. Ganesan, who have opted out of contesting the Assembly polls.

It all started with protest from DMK men in Palayamkottai constituency,  on Tirunelveli outskirts, against the candidature of T.P.M. Mohideen Khan as party nominee. Protests continue unabated in the district till the time of filing the copy against his candidature and demanding he be replaced immediately. The protests reached a peak a couple of days back when a party cadre tonsured his head.

This is the fourth time Mohideen Khan has been nominated as the candidate from the constituency. In the Cauvery delta region, S.S. Rajkumar, younger brother of former Union Minister S.S. Palanimanickam, refused to contest from Orathanadu, where he was fielded by the party.

The party was forced to replace him as he was keen on contesting only from Thanjavur.  It also nominated Govindasamy in the place of Thanga Anandan from Vriddhachalam seat after there was considerable opposition to the latter from party men.

The situation is no better in AIADMK with the ruling party being forced to replace Tamil Magan Hussain from Palayamkottai with S. K. A. Hyder Ali due to protests from partymen against the candidature of the former.

The AIADMK has so far changed 21 candidates ever since the candidates list was announced on April 4. The party was forced to change a few candidates after the rival parties  nominated heavyweights and veterans from there. After denying them chance, AIADMK nominated three ministers as candidates.

Pre-poll convulsions are common even in parties like DMDK, Congress and Tamil Maanila Congress. While three MLAs left DMDK to form a splinter group and contest the Assembly elections in alliance with DMK, several district secretaries of Vijayakanth-led party have sought refuge in  DMK. The dissidence and desertions in DMDK came primarily because of the party’s decision to align with the People’s Welfare Alliance.

Even in a smaller outfit like TMC, which suffered a setback with senior leaders like Peter Alphonse and P. Vishwanathan quitting the party, there was disappointment among office-bearers as some were left out in the candidates’ list. Party secretary Ramesh announced he was quitting TMC after he was denied a seat. The already faction-ridden TNCC was also hit by dissidence when AICC member S. M. Idayathullah announced his decision to quit.