Chennai: Before any election, Congress starts its seat-sharing talks with a precondition: Sriperumbudur seat should be for the party.“That’s where the temple of our leader is,” says Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K Selvaperunthagai, referring to the memorial of the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Rajiv was assassinated in Sriperumbudur, about 40km from Chennai, in 1991. Even earlier, Sriperumbudur was a preferred seat for Congress. After Rajiv, it found a warmer place in the hearts of Congress rank and file. The party has contested seven times in this reserved segment since 1991 – and won four. Selvaperunthagai won the seat in 2021; now he is seeking reelection from here. Despite all the emotional connection, the contest this time looks tough. Voters complain Selvaperunthagai is rarely seen in the constituency, especially after he became the TNCC president in 2024. But the public sentiment against him in certain pockets was palpable when TOI reporters visited the place. On Dec 30 last year, villagers of Kottur questioned his absence when he visited the village. “He is not easily accessible. We could see him more on TV than in the constituency,” said Sarangan G, a resident of Sarapancheri village in the constituency. On the other hand, they point out, AIADMK candidate K Palani, who was earlier an MLA here, has been easily accessible. A native of Kundrathur in Sriperumbudur, he has been a familiar face for the voters since 2016. Palani is banking on his grassroots connection as well as infrastructure development projects completed during the AIADMK regime before 2021. “Every village in Sriperumbudur got well-laid roads when Edappadiar (AIADMK general secretary) was the chief minister,” he said.During his campaign, Selvaperunthagai has been forced to devote most of his time explaining his inability to visit the constituency often. “People expect their MLA to visit every village, but that is not possible. There are local bodies to take care of their basic needs while an MLA has other tasks. I am explaining this to the people wherever I go. They are slowly understanding,” Selvaperunthagai said. He faces a challenge also from TVK, which banks on Vijay’s popularity. TVK has fielded K Thennarasu, who Congress and AIADMK dismiss as a political novice who will have no takers.
