Within 12 hours of the announcement by the Election Commission of India that the by-election for the Srirangam Assembly constituency would be held on February 13, the DMK, the main Opposition party in Tamil Nadu released the name of the party candidate for the bout. Party chief M Karunanidhi (92) announced on Tuesday that N Anand would be the party’s candidate for the by-election necessitated by the conviction and sentencing of J Jayalalithaa, the former Chief Minister and the AIADMK general secretary in the disproportionate wealth case.
Anand, a political light weight, was trounced by Jayalalithaa in the April 2011 Assembly election by a massive majority of 42,000 votes from Srirangam. The announcement by the DMK has set the ball rolling for the contest. Parties like the Vanniyar outfit PMK, the MDMK and the DMDK are likely to announce their stance only after the Pongal festival which falls on Thursday.
The BJP has made it known that the party would certainly field a candidate from Srirangam. The by-election to Srirangam is being seen as a prelude to the election to the Tamil Nadu Assembly , which is scheduled for April 2016.
The only point of interest in Srirangam is whether Jayalalithaa would campaign for the AIADMK candidate, whose name is expected to be released after Thursday. Jayalalithaa has not issued any statements or releases since she was released on bail from the Parappana Agrahara jail in Bangalore. She has not moved out of Veda Nilayam, her residence in Chennai’s Poes Garden, even once after coming back from Bangalore in October 2014. She was conspicuous by her absence throughout the Margazhi Music Festival, which she never misses in routine course.
Interestingly, the by-election is scheduled for February 13 and the counting of votes will take place on February 16. The 2011 Assembly election in Tamil Nadu was held on April 13 and results announced on May 16. The election to the 2014 lok Sabha from the State was held on April 13 and results announced on May 16. Both times, the AIADMK literally swept the polls. Whether 13 and 16 will again favour Jayalalithaa and the AIADMK is the point of discussion among those who are interested in numerology.
If the ground realities in Srirangam are any indication, the AIADMK is in an unassailable position. Development schemes like home for the homeless, the Amma restaurants selling subsidised meals and free rice scheme for the BPl section of society has gone down well with the voters.
The sympathy for Jayalalithaa among the voters, especially women who constitute more than 50 per cent of the total 2.7 lakh voters, has made Srirangam a tough proposition for other parties including the BJP.