Voters in Mayiladuthurai lok Sabha constituency, which goes to polls on Thursday, have made up their mind. They prefer the simplicity and humane nature of the NDA candidate K Agoram (PMK) and the AIADMK nominee Bharati Mohan than the pomposity of INC candidate Mani Shankar Aiyar.
The DMK cadre is conspicuous by their absence here which consists of the Assembly segments Seerkazhi, Poompuhar, Mayiladuthurai, Kumbakonam, Thiruvidamaradur and Papanasam.
OS Manian (AIADMK) had beaten Aiyar with a comfortable margin in the 2009 lS election. The 2011 Assembly election saw the AIADMK walking away with four Assembly constituencies while the DMK had to remain content with just two.
Since then a realignment saw the DMK and the Muslim league dumping the Congress, which has become untouchables in Tamil Nadu politics. The DMDK, PMK and the MDMK switched over to the BJP camp while the DMK aligning itself with caste and communal outfits like VCK, Muslim league and the MMK (another extremist outfit).
No Congress leader were willing to contest from Mayiladurthurai because of the “track record” of Aiyar who had promised in 1991 that he would make the constituency a mini-Singapore leading to the abysmal state the party is in now.
“You are asking a stupid question,” an irritated Aiyar retorted when one of the scribes reminded him on Monday about his promise in 1991 and the fact that the constituency remained the same as it was in 1991.
Congress leaders in Mayiladuthurai told The Pioneer that Aiyar entered the scene following instructions from 10 Janpath as the party could not find a scapegoat. “He is a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha and his term would get over only in 2016. He has nothing to lose here,” said a local Congress leader.
His campaign style speaks volumes about his attitude. As he was travelling on-board a makeshift vehicle through the narrow lanes of Mayiladuthurai, Aiyar (73) was continuously busy with his mobile phone and hardly greeted anyone.
“This is the reason why we have lost hope in the Congress and switched over to the camp of Agoram,” Sellamani, a construction supervisor at Mayiladuthurai said. The PMK candidate is accessible all the time and has not made any unrealistic promises like Aiyar, said Somasundaram, a labourer.
“The fight at Mayiladurthurai is between the PMK and the AIADMK. The MMK candidate who is supported by the DMK has upset the Hindus because of his extremist outlook,” said Selvam, a shopkeeper. What adds spice to the bout is the fact that Aiyar has won from the constituency in the past only with the support of either of the Dravidian majors.
“In all probability, Aiyar may end up in the fourth position. People like Aiyar fail to understand that the interests of voters have changed and they have become more aware of ground realities,” said Sundararajan, a retired Government official.