DMK legislator K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran, who is seeking re-election from Aruppukottai, is fighting his 11th Assembly poll in a row.
Unlike party general secretary Duraimurugan, who has entered the fray for the 12th time on a DMK ticket, Mr. Ramachandran first entered the Assembly in 1977 on an AIADMK ticket when M.G. Ramachandran became the Chief Minister.
He had joined his family’s cotton business early on and was attracted to the screen charisma of MGR. He then became the president of an MGR fan club of the then composite Ramanathapuram district.
“I never had dreams of becoming an MLA. I contested the election at 28, only because MGR wanted me to fight polls,” he said. Since then, he has been a force to reckon with in the region, though he joined the DMK in 1997. Mr. Ramachandran has won six times from the Sattur Assembly seat that earned him the moniker, Sattur Ramachandran.
He fondly recalls those days of campaigning being simple and straight. “We loved to do door-to-door canvassing and meeting people from every street and village. Even people used to be eager to meet the leaders and candidates as it was the only way to meet them — there was no television or internet those days,” he said.
As Minister for Cooperation and later PWD in MGR’s Cabinet, he brought four minor dams to the dry areas of Virudhunagar district — Anaikuttam, Vembakottai, Golwarpatti and Kullursandhai.
Having been with Mr. Ramachandran in his campaign, former Aruppukottai Municipal Chairman S. Sivaprakasam recalled that his campaign jeep would return home only after day break.
With no restrictions on timings for campaigning then, he would continue electioneering throughout the night.
After a nap for a couple of hours, Mr. Ramachandran would be back on the streets campaigning, Mr. Sivaprakasam said.
After MGR’s death in 1987, Mr. Ramachandran won from the neighbouring Vilathukulam seat, as part of Jayalalithaa’s faction of the AIADMK. His popularity in Sattur was evident when he won the seat in 1991, repesenting the little known Anna Puratchi Thalaivar Munnetra Kazhagam, after parting ways with Jayalalithaa.
“I was among the few to survive the tsunami of sympathy in that election following the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi,” he said. However, soon after the election, he rejoined the AIADMK.
Six years later, he joined the DMK after then leader M. Karunanidhi “liked me to be with his party.” In 2006, he was a Minister in the Karunanidhi Cabinet.
After delimitation in 2009, he shifted from Sattur to Aruppukottai.
“This is my 11th election and I have won eight times (losing in 1996 and 2011). This has been possible because I have always remained connected to the voters. Even when I lost elections, I went around the constituency to thank them,” he said.
He takes pride in the fact that anyone can meet him any time, at his office or home, and that he knows many voters by their name.
The 72-year-old said he has adapted himself to the changing times. “Now, with just a fortnight left for campaigning, we are reaching out to voters through social media,” he said.