TN minister takes on her father's nemesis

Tamil Nadu's high-profile Information Technology Minister Poongothai, a close confidant of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP Kanimozhi, is locked in an intense electoral battle with arch-rival All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's P G Rajendran, who once defeated her father and party veteran Aladi Aruna, in this rural constituency of Alangulam in Tirunelveli district.

Poongothai first successfully contested from this constituency in 2006, two years after her father Aruna, a Law Minister in the 1996-2001 DMK government, was killed allegedly by his rivals in his native place. When he was killed, Aladi Aruna was not with the DMK.

However, considering his long association with the party, DMK chief M Karunanidhi fielded Poongothai, a gynaecologist by profession, from Alangulam and made her a minister in his government after she emerged victorious.

A tech-savvy person, Poongothai established an Information Technology Park in Gangaikondan, enhanced the standards of schools in the area and virtually brought about an IT revolution in this constituency and town, 25 km from Tirunelveli.

With IT Minister as its MLA, Alangulam has a website joining a select club of villages which have a website of their own.

However, people here talk about the unfulfilled promises of bringing big industries to the constituency and the dream of a head hospital for the Alangulam taluk. They also complain about the minister spending more time in Chennai.

Poongothai says water, sanitation, developmental projects and enhancing the quality of schools and education will help her get a second term in the 234-member state assembly.

"We have done tremendous work for the past five years in this constituency. We have build new school buildings with Information Technology facilities and many more. And, moreover, I have been getting tremendous response from people wherever I go," she said.

But, the AIADMK camp claims there is a "huge" anti-incumbency wave against the Minister and that the poll promises by Jayalalithaa would ensure their victory.

Poongothai is also banking on the pet schemes of the DMK government and said 22,000 women in her constituency alone were beneficiaries of the maternal assistance scheme being implemented by the Karunanidhi government.

"The schemes are a big plus point, especially the colour TV scheme and the maternal assistance scheme," she said.

The AIADMK camp says since Rajendran defeated Poongothai's father Aruna it will be easy for them to win this seat this time. "The mood here is in favour of the AIADMK and we will win from this seat. The candidate is very strong," a local party leader said.

But, Poongothai contests this point. "The situation in 2001 and 2011 are completely different. My father did not lose because of Rajendran. He lost because of low turnout in constituencies which were his stronghold. So, this does not matter."

After becoming IT Minister in 2006, Poongothai was forced to resign in May 2008 following a controversy over her alleged telephonic conversation with the then Vigilance  chief S K Upadhyay about a corruption case involving her relative.

However, she was re-inducted into the cabinet in February 2009.

Coverage: Assembly Elections 2011