BJP pins its Tamil Nadu hopes on Vedaranyam

VEDARANYAM: In a bid to make a foray into the Tamil Nadu Assembly in the May 16 elections, the BJP is pinning its hopes on the coastal constituency of Vedaranyam. In line with that, it is fielding a three-time former DMK MLA as its candidate in the constituency.
The candidate, S K Vedarathinam, is a popular businessman in the town. He is popularly known as "SK" among the locals.He was a strongman of DMK and got elected to the Assembly in 1996, 2001 and 2006 from Vedaranyam. He joined the BJP last year after resigning from the DMK and is confident he can help the lotus bloom.
Vedaranyam is a major salt producing centre in Nagapattinam District. In 1930, C Rajagopalachari staged a 'salt sathyagraha' in the town. The initiative was the south's equivalent of the Dandi march undertaken by Mahatma Gandhi against imposition of tax on salt by the British.
Beside its vast salt pans, the town, located about 350 kms from Chennai, is also known for prawn cultivation and fishing.
It is witnessing a multi-cornered fight involving Vedarathinam, ruling AIADMK's O S Manian, Congress candidate P V Rajendiran, DMDK nominee Vairanathan and PMK's Usha Kannan.
Vedarathinam, who scored a hat-trick of wins from the constituency from 1996 as a DMK nominee, lost to AIADMK's N V Kamaraj in the 2011 polls.
AIADMK has dropped Kamaraj, giving a second chance to Manian who lost to Vedarathinam in 2006.
Congress, which is contesting the polls in alliance with DMK, has nominated P V Rajendran, an industrialist.
Political analysts feel that keeping in mind the popularity and winning streak of Vedarathinam, BJP chose Vedaranyam as among the places for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaigning to give a strong push for the party's goal of making a mark in the state polls.