DMK unit unhappy over Aranthagi seat given to Congress

Pudukottai: The cracks between DMK and Congress in Aranthangi over allocation of seat to the latter, are widening further, with former DMK MLA Udayam Shanmugam and DMK local unit openly criticising the arrangement.Shanmugam said that the constituency has been allotted to Congress in successive elections despite DMK having a strong presence. S T Ramachandran, son of Su Thirunavukkarasar and the sitting Congress MLA, has been fielded from the constituency. Alleging that the incumbent MLA had failed to deliver despite repeated electoral support from DMK cadres, Shanmugam said the contributions of grassroots workers were being overlooked. "Had I joined the AIADMK, I would have become a six-time MLA by now," he rued.Shanmugam voiced his dissatisfaction during an alliance meeting held on Monday evening in Aranthangi, attended by minister S Regupathy and party functionaries, shortly after the incumbent Congress MLA filed his nomination. Shanmugam further said that while DMK cadres worked hard to secure victories for Congress candidates, their efforts were not reciprocated after elections. "Aranthangi is a DMK stronghold. Our cadres ensure the victory of the Congress candidate, but the MLA does nothing for them or for the constituency," he said.The former and the current MLA have been at odds for some time, with much of the friction playing out in the open. Miffed over the seat not being allotted to DMK, the local unit remains disappointed even as the nomination process has been completed.