Chennai: Ousted AIADMK leader and former Tamil Nadu chief minister O. Panneerselvam (OPS) is trailing by a margin of 1,39,209 votes in Ramanathapuram constituency as of 6pm.
Backed by the NDA alliance led by BJP, Panneerselvam chose to contest as an Independent candidate, with the jackfruit as his symbol.
He is trailing the DMK alliance candidate K. Navaskani of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), with AIADMK’s P. Jeyaperumal in third position. Navaskani had won from Ramanathapuram constituency in 2019 by defeating his nearest rival Nainar Nagenthran of the BJP by a margin of 1.27 lakh votes.
According to political analyst Barakath Ali, Panneerselvam’s position ahead of the AIADMK candidate could help revive his political fortunes.
“By leading against the AIADMK candidate, OPS’s political career would get a new lease of life as it is a do-or-die battle for him after losing his fight against former party AIADMK. It may help him get back to the party, if not now, maybe after a year,” Ali told ThePrint.
Ramanathapuram Lok Sabha constituency is spread across three districts — Ramanathapuram, Pudukkottai and Virudhunagar — and comprises six assembly segments, namely Paramakudi, Tiruvadanai, Ramanathapuram, Mudukulathur, Aranthangi, and Tiruchuli. The seat has a mixed population of Mukkulathors, Yadavas and Dalits, besides Muslims and Christians.
Hailing from Theni district, Panneerselvam is from the socially and politically dominant Mukkulathor or Thevar community, an umbrella term for the Kallar, Maravar and Agamudaiyar communities. He enjoys the support of his community as well as Hindu Pallars, a Dalit community, who were recognised as the Devendrakula Vellalars in 2021.
Notably, the AIADMK has been facing stiff opposition from the Mukkulathors since the party’s government led by then CM E. Palaniswami in 2021 passed a bill providing for 10.5 percent reservation for Vanniyars within the 20 percent reserved for Most Backward Classes (MBCs).
The legislation was later struck down by the Supreme Court.
Besides the DMK and AIADMK candidates, OPS is also facing dummy candidates, at least four of whom have the same name as him. Despite being a part of the BJP-led NDA, Panneerselvam lacked widespread recognition in the seat on account of the lack of a familiar symbol.
Though he is still a member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, he took it upon himself to contest the Lok Sabha elections to score a point over his political rival, former CM EPS who expelled him from the AIADMK’s primary membership for ‘anti-party’ activities.
The AIADMK had contested the 2021 assembly elections under the dual leadership of OPS as coordinator and EPS as joint-coordinator of the party.
After a drubbing in the assembly elections, there was a call for single leadership within the party which was reflected in the party’s general council meeting held in June 2022. After a minor clash, OPS and his supporters were expelled from the party’s primary membership for ‘anti-party activities’. OPS challenged his expulsion in court but in vain.
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