Will Jagathrakshakan’s son jump into fray?

The buzz in Anna Arivalayam was that some party functionaries there have tried to propose resourceful party MP S Jagathrakshakan’s son Dr J Sundeep Anand in Vikravandi.

The educationist who runs a private college near the state capital has been identified by some party functionaries as their trump card to negate the influence of Ponmudi.

However, the ambitious functionaries have pitched the idea through a couple of equally influential second rung leaders to party president MK Stalin. The idea has found takers even at the top level, for they perceive the resourcefulness of the MP’s son as a match to the wherewithal of local AIADMK strongman and state Law Minister CVe Shanmugham, who seems to be keen on fielding his family member or close acquaintance in the bypoll fray.

A party source admitted that Jagathrakshakan’s ability to secretly influence an ally of the rival AIADMK in the Vanniyar stronghold was an added advantage to him in an election, which, unlike the recent Lok Sabha and Assembly bypolls, would be a tough one with the ruling party channelising all its attention on one or two seats. Sources privy to the development revealed that DMK president Stalin has even considered the idea viable and discussed it with Jagathrakshakan, who was not all that enthused about his businessman-son taking the political plunge so early.

Pertinently, Stalin was understood to have elicited the views of local functionaries, especially the one’s from Vikravandi and adjoining unions recently to discuss the bypoll strategy. Local functionaries had suggested the names of Villupuram (central) district treasurer Pugalendi and deputy secretary Jayachandran for the bypoll. Of the two, Pugalendi was the choice of most functionaries who had presented a field report of the ensuing bypoll.