Chennai: Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, who is contesting Lok Sabha elections for the first time, will face four other candidates named O Panneerselvam in Ramanathapuram, besides candidates from the IUML and AIADMK.
Four independent candidates with the name O Panneerselvam have filed nominations to contest from the minority-dominated constituency, adding to the woes of the expelled AIADMK leader. None of the namesakes have withdrawn from the contest, which means that Panneerselvam faces an uphill task of reaching his symbol, the jackfruit, to the electorate in less than 20 days.
Another problem is that Panneerselvam is also contesting as an independent candidate as he is not part of any political party. While Panneerselvam is 74 years old, his namesakes are between 42 to 61 years of age.
The opponents of Panneerselvam are believed to have adopted this old style of confusing people with similar names and spelling of a popular candidate. Only one of the four candidates is from Ramanathapuram district, while three are from Madurai district. The former CM hails from Theni district.
AIADMK has denied any role in four other Panneerselvams contesting against OPS, who stood-by for Jayalalithaa as Chief Minister twice in the past. “In a democracy, anyone has the right to contest elections,” AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said.
Panneerselvam, who was expelled from the AIADMK in July 2022, is contesting the Lok Sabha elections to keep himself politically relevant. He has chosen Ramanathapuram as the constituency has a significant presence of Mukulathors, an umbrella term used to refer to three castes namely Kallar, Maravar, and Agamudaiyar.
The former chief minister believes the Mukulathors will stand by him in the election, and he hopes to emerge runner-up, if not the winner, by pushing the AIADMK to the third slot. However, the going may be tough for him because of a slew of reasons – his candidature as an independent, a new symbol, and namesakes.
Published 30 March 2024, 14:29 IST