The catastrophic fall in the victory margin might have raised a few eyebrows in Anna Arivalayam, but newly elected DMK Vellore MP Kathir Anand firmly believes that his victory was great. He also dismissed the nepotism charges levelled against him in this freewheeling chat with DT Next.
Kathir Anand
Chennai:
I have dedicated my life to serve people. Some hurdles were created on my way. It will not stop me. The result has proven that the malicious campaign of the ruling party will not succeed. It is our leader Thalapathi’s (MK Stalin) victory. People’s faith in our leader has been confirmed. The victory has also asserted that Vellore is DMK Fort.
But there is criticism about DMK’s vote margin tanking in two months in the fort city. What went wrong?
I came across no such criticism. That (April 18) was a general election. Almost all Ministers and many MLAs of the ruling party were involved in the campaign. They had targeted me. They had abused power. But I went empty handed and put forth my argument and promises before the people of Vellore. Voters have gifted us victory, which should be celebrated. We have defeated their plot.
Did the presence of a strong opponent like AC Shanmugam, who is a well-known leader in the region, make the election difficult for you?
I don’t know if he (Shanmugam) is AIADMK or BJP. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a pat on his back, but BJP leaders didn’t turn up for campaign. He should have come black and white like me when he hit the campaign trail. His campaign was shrouded in mystery. The Chief Minister and his deputy had abused their power and money. In Vaniyambadi they were caught red-handed while distributing money. It was widely reported by media. People have acknowledged the big victory of April by giving us a decisive mandate in Vellore, despite the abuse of power by the ruling party. I should specifically thank our youth wing secretary who lured and connected with young voters.
Ironically, you have also been accused of paying cash to voters. Earlier, Rs 10 crore was seized from DMK member Poonjolai Srinivasan, who is said to be an acquaintance of your family….
A reporter inquired me about seizure of Rs 5 crore somewhere in Vellore during the campaign. Wherever some money was seized, it belonged to Kathir Anand. Wherever something goes wrong, it was attributed to me. I have clarified that the money seized from Srinivasan is not mine. We have given it in writing to the Income Tax department as well. Only the ruling party is spreading such falsehood, which cannot be proved. If the allegations were believed by the people, they would not have elected us in 37 seats.
Some small parties were understood to have opted out fearing the spending capacity of you and ACS? Pls respond…
I don’t care if they (small parties) contest or don’t. We contested, took our ideas and promises to the people. Abstention of smaller parties has no effect on us. We are not a seasonal party. We are a seasoned party. We don’t do profit-loss calculations like them. Since our inception, victory or defeat, DMK has never shied away from any election. We don’t opt out for season or TV shooting.
Your rival Shanmugam says he lost because of Triple Talaq and Article 370. In fact, it was minority Vaniyambadi which ensured your victory. Do you agree that minority factor contributed to your victory?
I took a test. I have passed. Why should I analyze? Let them analyze their defeat. They should self-introspect. Minorities have always been with us. We knew that very well. DMK was the first to voice against any oppression of minorities. They have a share in our victory.
Did your party’s stand on NIA Amendment Bill eat into your victory margin? A quick look at the voting pattern suggests that you have polled less in rural areas. AIADMK had led in Gudiyatham Assembly constituency, which DMK had won two months ago?
I don’t know. We have time to analyze what helped and what went wrong. Our first duty is to thank Vellore.
One of the major criticisms levelled against you is nepotism. How do you overcome the criticism of heir? Would you have got Vellore ticket without your father’s influence?
Politics is nothing but a position to serve the people. My father was active since his student days. I also intended to follow him. I have seen five or six Assembly elections, a few Lok Sabha, civic and even society elections. I have campaigned and worked for cadre fielded at various levels by the party. I applied for the same Vellore ticket five years ago, but the leadership chose to give it to allies then. I didn’t get it then. They saw my performance during the last five years and thought that as a son of the soil I would be the fit candidate for the seat.
Your party MPs have set the bar high in the Parliament. Expectation is high on you. As a debutant, what are your plans for the ensuing Lok Sabha session?
First, I should serve the people who elected me. I will raise the constituency issues. Drinking water is a serious issue in all the six Assembly constituencies in Vellore. Extension of Hogenakkal combined drinking water scheme to Vellore, creating a new SIPCOT industrial estate in Vellore and meeting irrigation requirements of Vellore farmers would be high on my agenda. Many educated youths in Vellore either go to Chennai or Bengaluru for job. I will hold discussion with industries and raise the issues in the Parliament.
It is widely rumoured that you might be offered a state-level position in the DMK youth wing soon….
You have won after a ‘struggle’…. Did you heave a sigh of relief or celebrate? As a first timer how did you feel about the victory?
I have dedicated my life to serve people. Some hurdles were created on my way. It will not stop me. The result has proven that the malicious campaign of the ruling party will not succeed. It is our leader Thalapathi’s (MK Stalin) victory. People’s faith in our leader has been confirmed. The victory has also asserted that Vellore is DMK Fort.
But there is criticism about DMK’s vote margin tanking in two months in the fort city. What went wrong?
I came across no such criticism. That (April 18) was a general election. Almost all Ministers and many MLAs of the ruling party were involved in the campaign. They had targeted me. They had abused power. But I went empty handed and put forth my argument and promises before the people of Vellore. Voters have gifted us victory, which should be celebrated. We have defeated their plot.
Did the presence of a strong opponent like AC Shanmugam, who is a well-known leader in the region, make the election difficult for you?
I don’t know if he (Shanmugam) is AIADMK or BJP. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a pat on his back, but BJP leaders didn’t turn up for campaign. He should have come black and white like me when he hit the campaign trail. His campaign was shrouded in mystery. The Chief Minister and his deputy had abused their power and money. In Vaniyambadi they were caught red-handed while distributing money. It was widely reported by media. People have acknowledged the big victory of April by giving us a decisive mandate in Vellore, despite the abuse of power by the ruling party. I should specifically thank our youth wing secretary who lured and connected with young voters.
Ironically, you have also been accused of paying cash to voters. Earlier, Rs 10 crore was seized from DMK member Poonjolai Srinivasan, who is said to be an acquaintance of your family….
A reporter inquired me about seizure of Rs 5 crore somewhere in Vellore during the campaign. Wherever some money was seized, it belonged to Kathir Anand. Wherever something goes wrong, it was attributed to me. I have clarified that the money seized from Srinivasan is not mine. We have given it in writing to the Income Tax department as well. Only the ruling party is spreading such falsehood, which cannot be proved. If the allegations were believed by the people, they would not have elected us in 37 seats.
Some small parties were understood to have opted out fearing the spending capacity of you and ACS? Pls respond…
I don’t care if they (small parties) contest or don’t. We contested, took our ideas and promises to the people. Abstention of smaller parties has no effect on us. We are not a seasonal party. We are a seasoned party. We don’t do profit-loss calculations like them. Since our inception, victory or defeat, DMK has never shied away from any election. We don’t opt out for season or TV shooting.
Your rival Shanmugam says he lost because of Triple Talaq and Article 370. In fact, it was minority Vaniyambadi which ensured your victory. Do you agree that minority factor contributed to your victory?
I took a test. I have passed. Why should I analyze? Let them analyze their defeat. They should self-introspect. Minorities have always been with us. We knew that very well. DMK was the first to voice against any oppression of minorities. They have a share in our victory.
Did your party’s stand on NIA Amendment Bill eat into your victory margin? A quick look at the voting pattern suggests that you have polled less in rural areas. AIADMK had led in Gudiyatham Assembly constituency, which DMK had won two months ago?
I don’t know. We have time to analyze what helped and what went wrong. Our first duty is to thank Vellore.
One of the major criticisms levelled against you is nepotism. How do you overcome the criticism of heir? Would you have got Vellore ticket without your father’s influence?
Politics is nothing but a position to serve the people. My father was active since his student days. I also intended to follow him. I have seen five or six Assembly elections, a few Lok Sabha, civic and even society elections. I have campaigned and worked for cadre fielded at various levels by the party. I applied for the same Vellore ticket five years ago, but the leadership chose to give it to allies then. I didn’t get it then. They saw my performance during the last five years and thought that as a son of the soil I would be the fit candidate for the seat.
Your party MPs have set the bar high in the Parliament. Expectation is high on you. As a debutant, what are your plans for the ensuing Lok Sabha session?
First, I should serve the people who elected me. I will raise the constituency issues. Drinking water is a serious issue in all the six Assembly constituencies in Vellore. Extension of Hogenakkal combined drinking water scheme to Vellore, creating a new SIPCOT industrial estate in Vellore and meeting irrigation requirements of Vellore farmers would be high on my agenda. Many educated youths in Vellore either go to Chennai or Bengaluru for job. I will hold discussion with industries and raise the issues in the Parliament.
It is widely rumoured that you might be offered a state-level position in the DMK youth wing soon….
I do not know. I am doing my job. I will respond only when the situation arises.