For seniors, nothing succeeds like success

For seniors, nothing succeeds like success

Electorate Stands By Leaders Who Nurture Constituencies

Julie.Mariappan@timesgroup.com

17.03.2021 

Winning successive elections from a constituency for six to eight times is no mean feat. Tamil Nadu assembly has a few veterans like DMK general secretary S Durai Murugan, who has won seven times from Katpadi and twice from Ranipet assembly segments, school education minister K A Sengottaiyan, who has won seven times from Gobichettipalayam, and fisheries minister D Jayakumar, who has won five times from Royapuram. These leaders, except in elections influenced by unprecedented waves – Rajiv assassination in 1991 and anti-AIADMK sentiments in 1996 – have retained their segments by maintaining close relationship cultivated over decades with their electorate.

A young Durai Murugan had to travel 30kms to Gudiyatham to attend school and had seen women drawing water from rail wagons due to drought and high salinity of groundwater. When elected in 1971, he convinced CM M Karunanidhi to sanction a drinking water scheme for Katpadi, which was completed in two years. Later, as PWD minister, he got a university, law college, combined courts, several schools and a host of government departments for Katpadi, leaving Vellore, the district headquarters, in envy. “I love my constituency more than my wife and children,” the 82-yearold leader told TOI. When MGR floated a party and posed a big challenge in Ranipet, Karunanidhi shifted his lieutenant Durai Murugan to Ranipet segment. He won from Ranipet in 1977 and 1980 and went back to Katpadi in the next election. Since then, he has won six times from Katpadi.

Erode strongman K A Sengottaiyan, considered as one of the best organisers among politicians in Tamil Nadu, entered the fray and won from Sathyamangalam in 1977. He later shifted to Gobichettipalayam and won the seat seven times. Jayalalithaa sacked him from the cabinet in 2012 after his staff got arrested on charges of criminal intimidation. Still, he won the same seat in 2016.

His colleague, minister D Jayakumar has won from Royapuram five times. He has developed a close bond with his electorate, which he claims, is growing stronger with every passing day.

There are veterans like KKSSR Ramachandran, who represented Sattur six times as AIADMK, Thayaka Marumalarchi Kazhagam and DMK MLA since 1977. The MGR acolyte also won Aruppukottai seat after the 2011 delimitation, when much of the erstwhile Sattur was annexed with Aruppukottai.

Speaker P Dhanapal is a five-time MLA, who has represented Sankari, Rasipuram and Avanashi seats. DMK leader K Ponmudi won four times from Villupuram before moving to Tirukoilur in 2016, while his colleague E V Velu won from Thandarambattu thrice and later from Tiruvannamalai twice. Velu, who represented the AIADMK and the DMK, says, one should be “service-minded and remain genuine” to win the confidence of the people.