Chennai: Both Dravidian majors – Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) – would battle for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections-2021 for the first time without their charismatic leaders M Karunanidhi and J Jayalalithaa. In the political seesaw battle that had seen both parties alternately capture power since 1977, the over-a-quarter-century conflict and contest between the two popular leaders have transitioned into a clash between the two lesser mortals now: M K Stalin versus Edappadi K Palaniswamy.
The year 2021’s question is whether Stalin or Edappadi K Palaniswamy will win the sweepstakes. But, on a micro-level, it is a contest between Saidai Duraisamy and M Subramanian in Saidapet constituency.
Also read: Udayanidhi Stalin promises textile park at Sankarankoil weavers hub
Saidapet constituency
The Assembly constituency of Saidapet in Chennai district was created way back in 1952. The constituency has a voter population of 2,79.000, with men accounting for 1,37,073, women for 1,42, 414 and 75 transgenders. The Congress had achieved a hat-trick victory, the DMK had won 9 times and the AIADMK had won five times in Saidapet.
Popular candidates
However, in the current electoral scene in Saidapet, the two major candidates are as popular as the parties they represent for both Saidai Duraisamy (AIADMK) and M Subramanian (DMK) had been Mayors of Chennai, contributing their might to the development of the city. So, their individual fame will hold the key to their electoral success rather than their parties’ popularity index.
Also read: Moily slams AIADMK govt over unemployment, says DMK-Cong alliance will win TN Assembly polls
Saidai Duraisamy
The AIADMK candidate for Saidapet Saidai Duraisamy has been active in politics since the days of the party founder-leader and matinee idol M G Ramachandran (MGR). However, going into limbo after the demise of the AIADMK supremo and former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa in 2016, he has resurfaced now, contesting the Assembly elections on the AIADMK ticket.
He was elected to the Assembly from Saidapet in 1984. Contesting the 2011 Assembly elections from Kolathur on the AIADMK ticket, Duraisamy gave a tough fight to the then Deputy Chief Minister and DMK candidate in the constituency, Stalin. As a result, Stalin could win the seat only with a low margin of 2,734 votes, that too, after a prolonged bout of gasping for victory.
Consequently, Duraisamy was elected directly by the voters to be the Mayor of Chennai in the 2011 local body elections. He had the distinction of being the first AIADMK Mayor of Chennai.
During the current campaign, he has been telling the voters that he had been directly elected by the people to be the Mayor of Chennai. “It is the AIADMK which has executed various schemes for the development of Saidapet and I have played a major role in it,” he says, adding that strictly going by MGR’s advice, he has been mobilizing the jobless youth and implemented various schemes for their welfare. “Food and health are my priorities”, he said.
M Subramanian
DMK candidate for Saidapet M Subramanian was the Chennai Mayor from 2006 to 2011 when he implemented various schemes to ease the traffic congestion and snarls in Chennai. He won this constituency in 2016 and was instrumental in the implementation of several schemes for Saidapet.
Talking to ETV Bharat, Subramanian said, “When I was the Mayor of Chennai and Stalin the Deputy Chief Minister, we built several bridges and eased traffic congestion in Chennai city. I fought with the then Chief Minister Jayalalithaa in the Assembly for bringing in various schemes for the development of Chennai.”
Slamming the AIADMK for bad governance in the past 10 years, he also promised that he would if voted to victory, help the people get land pattas, mitigating the difficulties in the process. He questioned the ruling party whether it was befitting for it to promise many welfare schemes for the people, having done nothing in the past decade. All said and done, only May 2 can decode the hidden prospects that these two Dravidian parties’ candidates are facing now.
Also read: 'Kamal Haasan is a part-time politician'
