Tamil actor Vishal to contest RK Nagar bypoll

Sources said Vishal is likely to file his nomination on Monday, the last date.

IN A move that has the potential to queer the pitch for DMK by splitting the anti-incumbency votes polled against the AIADMK, Tamil actor Vishal is set to contest as an Independent candidate in the RK Nagar by-election. The constituency, which fell vacant with the death of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, will go to the polls on December 21. Vishal, who heads the powerful Tamil actors’ union Nadigar Sangam, will face E Madhusudhanan of the ruling faction of AIADMK, rebel AIADMK candidate T T V Dinakaran and DMK’s M Maruthuganesh, among others in the fray.

Stating that popular opinion made him enter politics, Vishal said, “I always wanted to do something for people, and was planning this for long.” He said RK Nagar is familiar to him since he worked there during the Chennai floods. Vishal had taken on BJP national secretary H Raja over the latter’s remarks against actor Vijay in the controversy over the film Mersal, which had some dialogues criticising GST. Vishal was raided by the Income Tax Department soon after his criticism of the BJP leader in October.

Sources said Vishal is likely to file his nomination on Monday, the last date. The actor is expecting the youth and a majority of people from his community — Telugu Naidu — to back him, according to a person close to Vishal. “Even if the Naidu community is less than 10 per cent (of the constituency’s total electorate), it will play a big role, as there are other (big) parties besides Vishal,” said a friend of the actor, indicating the split in votes.

While Madhusudhanan, AIADMK presidium chairman who is fighting on the official ‘Two Leaves’ symbol, also belongs to the Telugu community, many political observers expect Vishal to play a spoiler for the DMK.

A senior DMK leader alleged that Vishal’s entry is the brainchild of the state police intelligence to split votes that would go against AIADMK. The leader said, “In May 2016 (Assembly) elections, they managed AIADMK’s victory…by launching a third front led by MDMK leader Vaiko, along with the Left parties and Captain Vijayakanth (and splitting anti-incumbency votes that were expected to go to DMK). The same strategy is being repeated by pitching Vishal.”

Vishal denied he has any such support. “I am not a politician, I don’t make such moves.” He also that he has not so far discussed his decision with senior actors Kamal Haasan or Rajinikanth, who are also rumoured to be toying with the idea of joining politics.

But the DMK leader claimed that Vishal’s candidature will not affect the DMK. “He will only help split votes of Madhusudhanan,” the leader claimed. DMK leaders also point out that they have a strong alliance this time, with support of Dalit party VCK, CPI and the Congress, besides, unofficially, the CPI(M), which is not putting up a candidate and favouring the DMK without sharing the stage.