Kin of TN politicians in poll fray

Chennai, May 11: Kin of several leaders are testing their fortunes in the May 16 assembly elections in Tamil Nadu. Among the prominent faces are five-time MLA M K Stalin, the DMK Treasurer and son of its chief M Karunanidhi, and Anbumani Ramadoss, son of PMK founder S Ramadoss.

93-year-old Karunanidhi himself is seeking re-election from his native Tiruvarur in the coming polls as he eyes a sixth term as chief minister.

Stalin, the youngest son of Karunanidhi and considered his political heir, is contesting from Kolathur constituency in the city for the second time. In the 2011 election, he had won from there, defeating AIADMK's 'Saidai' Duraisamy.

63-year-old Stalin has taken the plunge into politics early in his life and made steady progress to reach the present position of DMK Treasurer and also Secretary of Youth Wing. Stalin first entered the poll fray in 1984 from Thousand Lights constituency but failed.

However, he later won from there in 1989, 1996, 2001 and 2006 elections. In 2006, he was inducted as Municipal Administration Minister and later elevated as Deputy Chief Minister. He had also served as Mayor of Chennai between 1996-2001.

Anbumani Ramadoss, the party's Chief Ministerial candidate, is seeking his maiden entry in the state assembly from Pennagaram in Dharmapuri district. A former union health minister, Anbumani is sitting Lok Sabha member from Dharmapurai constituency, which includes the Pennagaram segment. He was a Rajya Sabha MP from 2004 to 2010.

Interestingly, his father has never contested elections.

Senior DMK leader and former union minister T R Baalu's son T R B Rajaa is seeking election from Mannargudi constituency for second straight time. Rajaa is pitted against S Kamaraj who has a 30-year-old association with AIADMK.

Credited for upgrading the Mannargudi Railway Station during his tenure, Rajaa, however, faces criticism for allegedly being 'inaccessible'.

Another member from the DMK family is 'Veerapandi' A Rajendran alias A Raja, contesting from Veerapandi constituency in Salem district.

Rajendran is the son of the late DMK leader and former state minister 'Veerapandi' S Arumugam. While Arumugam was unsuccessful in the 2011 elections, his son is making maiden attempt from the constituency in this polls.

Arumugam, considered a close associate of Karunanidhi and the party's strongman in the western region, has won five times from the constituency.

In an interesting duel, he is locked in a faceoff with his cousin S Manonmani of AIADMK. BJP Tamil Nadu unit chief Thamizhisai Soundararajan, a medical doctor, contesting from Virugambakkam constituency also comes from a family with political background.

While her father Kumari Anandan, is a veteran Congress leader and former Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president, her uncle is noted businessman and Congress leader H Vasantha Kumar, who is in the poll fray from Nanguneri segment.

PTI