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Business News/ Politics / Policy/  Can RK Nagar bypoll results bring AIADMK camps together?
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Can RK Nagar bypoll results bring AIADMK camps together?

While the Panneerselvam camp has fielded E. Madhusudhanan, T.T.V. Dinakaran is the Sasikala faction candidate for the RK Nagar bypoll

AIADMK (Puratchithalaivi Amma) candidate E Madhusudhanan appeals for votes at the Kasimedu fish market in Chennai. Photo: PTIPremium
AIADMK (Puratchithalaivi Amma) candidate E Madhusudhanan appeals for votes at the Kasimedu fish market in Chennai. Photo: PTI

Chennai: With just a week left for the crucial RK Nagar bypoll in Tamil Nadu, campaigns are gathering momentum in the constituency of former chief minister J. Jayalalithaa and stakes are running high especially for the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).

A bypoll was necessitated following Jayalalithaa’s demise on 5 December. RK Nagar in Chennai will see 62 contestants—the highest since its inception in 1967— when the constituency goes to vote on 12 April.

The Election Commission (EC) is also closely monitoring the bypoll. Following a complaint by opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the EC ordered the transfer of Chennai police commissioner S. George. It has also transferred almost all the officials involved in the RK Nagar bypoll, appointed as many as five observers—the highest-ever for a constituency in the country—and deployed two IAS and two IPS officers on night patrol until the polling is over.

Now that the ruling AIADMK is formally split into AIADMK (Amma) and AIADMK (Puratchithalaivi Amma) and with the EC freezing the party’s two leaves symbol, the traditional AIADMK voters would be weighing between the new symbols—hat and lamp post.

Also Read: AIADMK camps get new symbols, party names from EC for RK Nagar bypoll

While former chief minister O. Panneerselvam camp—AIADMK (Puratchithalaivi Amma) which has been allotted the lamp post—is fielding veteran E. Madhusudhanan as its candidate, the V.K. Sasikala faction—AIADMK (Amma) with the hat symbol—has T.T.V. Dinakaran in fray.

DMK has fielded N. Maruthu Ganesh—the party’s secretary for RK Nagar east division and a journalist with party mouthpiece Dinakaran—as its candidate.

Traditionally any bypoll is won by the ruling party, but given the political turmoil and chaos over the last three months within AIADMK, the opposition DMK would have an edge, said analysts.

According to Sampath Kumar, professor at the Asian College of Journalism and an expert in Tamil Nadu politics, the opposition DMK is in a better position amid the confusion within the ruling party. “Depending on which faction of AIADMK takes the second and third positions, the future course of the party will unveil," he said.

Analysts don’t rule out the possibility of a merger between the two groups. However, the faction that gains more votes will be in a commanding position to bring the party together.

“Depending on which camp (of the AIADMK) wins or who gains better share of votes, there could be a consolidation or realignment within the two factions of the party," said N. Sathiya Moorthy, director of the Chennai chapter of think-tank Observer Research Foundation.

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Published: 05 Apr 2017, 12:57 PM IST
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