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Lakshmi, not TTV Dinakaran, won RK Nagar by-poll

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Vijayaraghavan Narasimhan
Vijayaraghavan NarasimhanDec 25, 2017 | 17:21

Lakshmi, not TTV Dinakaran, won RK Nagar by-poll

The RK Nagar by-election has proved that the Tamilian voter has come of age. Tamilian pride as the land of Thiruvalluvar, Kamban and Ilango Adigal has been restored.

Questions have always been asked on whether our leaders were right in introducing adult suffrage in the country from the very first general election in 1951.

Even in the world's oldest democratic country, the US, voting rights were held back from women and others for over a century. Many democratic countries took their own time to grant voting rights to all their citizens unlike India. Why?

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When India got Independence in 1947, only 17 per cent of the population was literate. It was felt that the unlettered Indian would be incapacitated in making a proper choice.

Sixteen general elections later, the electorate of India have proved the doubts meaningless. In a revolution of sorts, Indians have voted with their heart, mind and soul enabling the country to change dispensations peacefully. Take, for example, the 1977 elections held after the Emergency, in which all-powerful Indira Gandhi and her acolytes were removed lock, stock and barrel.

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Janata Party, a conglomeration of several parties under the leadership of Jaiprakash Narain, came together with no money, muscle power or any robust infrastructural support. The unlettered voter catapulted this party into power. And then in 1980, when the oldies of Janata Party were found relentlessly squabbling, Indira Gandhi was brought back to office.

However, despite varied kinds of elections throwing a range of results, there has been none like the by-poll of RK Nagar in Tamil Nadu.

No less than the iron lady, Jayalalithaa, held the seat until her demise on December 5, 2016. Post her death, we saw Sasikala take over the AIADMK and then we had OPS-EPS slugging it out for supremacy in the party, the fantastic Koovathur Resort episode was an engrossing and entertaining episode, which saw AIADMK MLA escape in disguise. Then E Palaniswami proved his majority in the Assembly after physically bundling out MLAs opposed to him.

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Later, TTV Dinakaran stood in RK Nagar as the official candidate of AIADMK but in the internecine dispute lost the two-leaves party symbol. He, however, stood his ground and jumped into the fight with the hat symbol.

However, the by-election got cancelled following allegations of candidates distributing money for votes. Subsequently, TTV was arrested on charges of trying to bribe Election Commission officials for the AIADMK party symbol.

Meanwhile, EPS and OPS settled their disputes and orchestrated the disqualification of 18 AIADMK MLAs owing allegiance to TTV. Their cases are now being heard in Madras High Court.

The RK Nagar by-poll was announced against this backdrop. The announcement came with its own share of drama. Actor Vishal's candidature was rejected and then the returning officer who rejected the actor's nomination papers himself lost his position. A number of Income Tax officials were appointed to monitor the flow of money to check the practice of bribing voters. Yet contemporaneous media reports confirmed that money was being handed over to voters and voters were eagerly accepting it.

On the other hand, TTV's search for a symbol went on with the EC granting the two-leaves symbol to the EPS-OPS combine. TTV then went into the contest with cooker as his symbol.

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TTV relied on the honesty and integrity of the Tamil voter, who will not break her promise after accepting money. The Tamilian voter, lettered or otherwise, has made it explicitly clear that her only allegiance is to money.

The Tamil voter has emerged as India's pride by supporting money power wholeheartedly and remaining honest in her dealings. In a situation where all candidates offer money, it is possible the Tamil voter will accept money from all and then vote for the highest bidder. This is a victory for Indian democracy.

While in the US, voting percentages hover around 50 per cent, voters in Tamil Nadu take pride in taking the polling percentage to about 80 per cent each time. And this loyalty and honesty of the Tamilian voter stems from the respect for Goddess Lakshmi. It is she who won the election.

Last updated: December 25, 2017 | 17:21
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