Former CM likely to emerge victorious again

Pondicherry, Apr 27 (UNI) Former chief minister R V Janakiraman of the DMK, is hopeful of returning from his Nellithoppe constituency for the sixth time in a row in the May eight Assembly elections to the territorial assembly.

Mr Janakiraman had never defected to other parties since 1985, when he entered the electoral arena on the DMK ticket.

He was the chief minister when the DMK-TMC-CPI coalition was voted to power in 1996. However, the Government was pulled down with the TMC withdrawing support to it, following the DMK aligning with the BJP in 2000. He had been the PWD minister in D Ramachandran cabinet in 1990.

Mr Janakiraman, who is the candidate of the Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) now faces a stiff challenge from the AIADMK-led Democratic People's Alliance (DPA) candidate. Though, the candidates of BJP and DMDK are in the fray, the contest in Nellithoppe, could be termed as a straight fight between the DMK and AIADMK.

The fact that the AIADMK candidate Om Sakthi Segar hails from the same constituency, even though he is a newcomer to the electoral arena, is an added advantage to the AIADMK.

''Considering my service, the people of Nellithoppe would vote for me, Mr Janakiraman claimed.

With caste politics having no role to play in this constiteuncy, both Mr Janakiraman and Segar are in neck to neck race.

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