Family matters: Tamil Nadu polls see plenty of political scions in the fray

Chennai: The kin of several leaders are testing their fortunes in the 16 May assembly elections in Tamil Nadu. Among the prominent faces are five-time MLA MK Stalin, who is DMK Treasurer and son of party chief chief M Karunanidhi, and Anbumani Ramadoss, son of PMK founder S Ramadoss. [caption id=“attachment_2644274” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of M Karunanidhi and MK Stalin. PTI[/caption] 93-year-old Karunanidhi himself is seeking re-election from his native Tiruvarur, as he eyes a sixth term as chief minister. Stalin, the youngest son of Karunanidhi and considered his political heir, is contesting from the 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 plunged into politics early in his life and made steady progress to reach the present position of DMK Treasurer and Secretary of Youth Wing. Stalin first entered the poll fray in 1984 from the Thousand Lights constituency but failed. However, he later won from there in the 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. [caption id=“attachment_2564182” align=“alignright” width=“380”]  Anbumani Ramadoss. File photo. AFP[/caption] A former union health minister, Anbumani is a sitting Lok Sabha member from Dharmapuri 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 TR Baalu’s son TRB Rajaa is seeking election from Mannargudi constituency for the 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 the 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 his 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 pitted against his cousin S Manonmani of AIADMK.  BJP Tamil Nadu unit chief Tamilisai Soundararajan, a doctor, contesting from the Virugambakkam constituency also comes from a family with a 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.