The run up to the current Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry has seen quite a few political leaders and elected representatives break down both in closed door meetings and public. Such public display of emotion is rather uncommon.
“Why was the seat denied to me? What mistake have I committed? I was all along a true loyalist of the party,” lamented former Minister and Perundurai AIADMK MLA Thoppu N. Venkatachalam, as he broke down before the media recently. However, he went on to file his nomination as an Independent candidate, hoping to enter the Assembly for a third straight term. On Friday, the party leadership expelled him.
Manchanallur MLA Parameshwari Murugan, also from the AIADMK, however did not rebel against the party, for not renominating her. Instead, when Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami was en route to a campaign point, she went near his car, held his hand and wept profusely over being denied a ticket, as scores of cadres looked on. She swore that she would remain loyal to the AIADMK, while Mr. Palaniswami merely consoled her.
Not just ticket aspirants, even leaders got emotional. When the DMK played hard ball during seat sharing, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K.S. Alagiri was choked with emotion at a closed-door meeting as he narrated to party functionaries the manner in which the negotiations were handled.
Some candidates turn emotional while campaigning to win over the voters. Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister Sevvoor Ramachandran recently broke down while canvassing votes in a village in a Vanniyar-dominated village and was consoled by PMK cadres, who assured him of support from the community.
There are some who get sentimental recalling personal memories like BJP Thousand Lights candidate Khushboo did while reminiscing about her mother.
Commenting on those denied tickets turning emotional, G. Palanithurai, retired professor of Gandhigram Rural Institute
G. Palanithurai, retired professor of Gandhigram, felt “It has become a new trend for [some] political aspirants to turn sentimental when they are denied chance [to contest] as they are unduly attached to power and position.”
Prof Sandeep Shastri, a political analyst, felt that turning emotional could be one way to sway the party leadership hoping for a change in decision.
“The emotional outburst could also be because the aspirant could have invested to get a ticket. It is also a direct consequence of absence of democracy within a party. There must be transparency in selection of candidates so that such incidents do not occur,” he said.
Neighbouring Puducherry too had witnessed some emotional scenes. Former PWD minister A. Namassivayam, who crossed over to BJP, and has been fielded in Mannadipet constituency for the first time after giving up his home constituency Villianur to the AINRC. He broke down before his supporters for shifting his contest to Mannadipet and his supporters consoled him.
