Over to Gen X

Going by the trend in the major political parties for the coming Assembly election, Dravidian politics is witnessing a generation shift.

Going by the trend in the major political parties for the coming Assembly election, Dravidian politics is witnessing a generation shift. Sons and daughters of several prominent politicians of the DMK, AIADMK and the Congress are taking the baton from their fathers.

The most keenly watched among them is undoubtedly MK Stalin, son of DMK chief M Karunanidhi. Although not so young among the younger faces, it8217;s the political career of DMK8217;s heir apparent that8217;s in the limelight. Eager to take on the mantle from his father, Stalin 58 is being seen as the future leader of the DMK, and one of the biggest emerging players in Tamil Nadu politics.

And, if the DMK wins with a comfortable majority, the former Chennai Mayor and the party8217;s youth wing leader could well be the state8217;s future Chief Minister as well. Stalin is contesting from the Thousand Lights constituency in Chennai, a DMK bastion, for the fifth time since 1989.

In 1991, swamped by the sympathy wave following Rajiv Gandhi8217;s assassination in favour of the AIADMK-Congress combine, Stalin lost, but won on the other three occasions. Besides Stalin, the DMK has given the party ticket to 8216;children8217; of six politicians.

Although her father Aladi Aruna, a DMK senior leader who was murdered a year ago, had quit the party rebelling against the candidature of Dayanidhi Maran for the 2004 Lok Sabha election, Dr Poongothai 43 was given the ticket to contest in Alangulam, her father8217;s constituency. A gynaecologist, she spent eight years in England. She enrolled as a member of the party in 1998 and remained loyal despite her father8217;s estrangement with

the party.

The DMK has also given the party ticket to A Rajendran, son of former minister, Veerapandi Arumugam, who would be contesting the first time from the Veerapandi constituency. Arumugam is also in the fray from Salem-II; NKKP Raja, son of former Minister NKK Periyasamy, has been given the Erode seat; Geetha Jeevan, daughter of Thoothukudi V. Periyasamy, whom Karunanidhi once described as his 8216;murattu bhakthar8217; fanatic devotee, will contest from Thoothukudi Tuticorin; Anbil Periyasamy, son of late Anbil Dharmalingam, will contest Tiruchy-I; Thangam Thennarasu, son of late V. Thangapandian, from Aruppukkottai; M A Andi Ambalam, son of late A. Andi Ambalam a former Congressman is the DMK candidate at Natham SC.

The three AIADMK 8216;sons8217; are P.H. Manoj Pandian, son of former MP, P H Pandian, seeking re-election from Cheranmadevi; S.R. Vetrivel, son of former Dharmapuri AIADMK MLA, Ranganathan, who is contesting from Pennagaram and K. S. Vijayakumar, who won the Gummidipoondi by-election in 2005 after his father K. Sudarsanam was shot by dacoits. The party has given him back the seat.

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In the Congress, it is MK Vishnu Prasad, son of TNCC president, M. Krishnasamy, who will contest from

Cheyyar and Arul Anbarasu, son of former MP, Era Anbarasu, from the Sholingur constituency.