Ministers adopt ‘friendly formula’ to woo voters

After the demise of AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa, state legislators, particularly the Ministers, are now displaying their hidden talents more in party and public functions. With elections around the corner, more such moves can be expected from the Dravidian leaders, opine party sources.

Minister D Jayakumar, who loves media limelight plays cricket, imitates sparing wearing a boxing glove, sings during the wedding of party men. “Minister Jayakumar likes singing MGR songs and he would do such things during the days of Amma, but now he is displaying more such public relation exercises,” said Poonga Nagar Selvam, an AIADMK functionary in north Chennai.

During the days of Amma, the trend was more of ritualistic with MLAs participating in pulling temple cars, encouraging body piercing, temple annadhanams and now the party functionaries are more into self-promotions during the public outreach programmes, Selvam opined adding that there is nothing wrong in the trend. Public encourage their local leaders when they dance and sing along, he added.

“For Minister Velumani, there are some five favourite oyilattam moves popular in southern region, he shakes his leg whenever there is a cultural or a woman self-help group event in Coimbatore. It all started in 2018 during a temple festival in Coimbatore and even on Monday the Minister danced during a self-help group function along with local party men,” said S Vasan, an AIADMK worker based in Coimbatore.

Dance and tribal songs are popular among the politicians in The Nilgiris, particularly Mettupalayam, Gudalur and Ooty Assembly segments, but the musical drift has now reached the Coimbatore district also, said A Saravanan, a tourist guide based in Ooty.

Not only AIADMK functionaries, even DMK leader and The Nilgiris MP A Raja occasionally shakes his leg during the tribal functions and the cultural events organised in the hilly district, added Saravanan.

It may be noted that last year, Dairy Development Minister Rajendra Bhalaji also hired a steamer boat trying his hand to reach out to the Ottapidaram fishermen during an election campaign.