The Big Fight: Parties ride on caste factor

If sitting MLA ‘Kaduvetti’ Guru and Ramajayalingam will vie with each other to muster support among the Vanniyar community they belong to, Mudaliyar strongman Rajendran who makes his electoral debut this time might have to slog it out to negate the influence of fellow Mudaliyar Kandasamy of MDMK who may also get the backing of ally VCK’s Dalits. 

DMK’s ideological partner Dravidar Kazhagam may help offset the influence of one-time NSA detainee Kaduvetti Guru who will suffer some anti-incumbency no sitting MLA can escape. “PMK and AIADMK have fielded candidates belonging to the Vanniyar community. MDMK and Congress candidates belong to Muthaliyar group. So the candidates should work hard to win the election,” says K Mahesh, an observer in the constituency. 

In the last assembly election, ‘Kaduvetti’ Guru won the election by defeating AIADMK’s P Elavazhagan. However, Guru will find it difficult to retain the constituency this time as votes may get split this time due to the entry of other prominent party candidates.

One of the PMK heavyweights, the sitting MLA has held many positions in the party and is active in politics since 1989. He had won once before in 2001.

A first-time contestant, he has held the post of state general secretary in Congress and is presently designated as Ariyalur district secretary. He is well-known in the territory.

The AIADMK candidate contested for the ADMK faction (1989 - Janaki party), though unsuccessfully. He had been a councillor before.

Contesting the poll for the first time, he is quite popular in the constituency. He holds the post of constituency secretary in the party at present.