KUMBAKONAM: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam seems sitting pretty at Kumbakonam, where the former minister and sitting MLA, Ko. Si. Mani, has been fielded again as the party candidate.

The record of Mr. Mani, who has been in the DMK since C.N.Annadurai's period, has invariably appealed to the voters. Starting off as panchayat president, he has come a long way, becoming chairman of the Kumbakonam Central Co-operative bank, MLA and a Minister.

Kumbakonam witnessed various development works — sodium vapour streetlamps, pucca roads, drinking water facility, wholesale vegetable market and fish market — during Mr. Mani's tenure as Minister for Local Administration from 1996 to 2001.

Household name

Mr. Mani, 75, a household name in Kumbakonam, commands respect cutting across party lines. DMK president M. Karunanidhi himself, during his election campaign, said he need not canvass for Mr. Mani, who the people of Kumbakonam knew well as an able administrator and efficient minister. With such a strong candidate, coupled with a strong alliance — the Congress, the Pattali Makkal Katchi, the Communists — the DMK hopes to win the seat this time also.

Mr. Mani made his debut as MLA from Kumbakonam in 1989 (before that he contested but lost) and became Agriculture Minister. In 1991, the seat went to the Janata Dal.

Then Rama Ramanathan of the AIADMK won, defeating the Janata Dal candidate. Again in 1996, Mr. Mani won by 35,000 votes.

In 2001, he managed to win with a thin margin of 6000 votes as he contested as DMK candidate, but without an alliance.

Pitted against Mr. Mani again is Mr. Rama Ramanathan. He is also contesting for the fourth time from Kumbakonam as AIADMK candidate, thanks to the soft corner Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has for him. Mr. Ramanathan hopes his party can make it this time because of the "performance" of the AIADMK Government.

The AIADMK has also many "achievements" to mention: the 8.5-km bypass road around the town laid during the 2004 Mahamaham festival and development works taken up during the festival by the Kumbakonam municipality, which is under the control of the AIADMK. Ms. Jayalalithaa campaigned for Mr. Ramanathan.

The DMDK, BJP and Varthakar Sangam candidates are also in the fray.

Kumbakonam has a sizable number of Sourashtras, Brahmins, and Vanniyars. But caste has never been a factor, since candidates belonging to various castes had won in Kumbakonam in the past.

Brahmins, a Muslim, A Sourashtrian and even candidates from other communities have been elected.

Kumbakonam has an electorate of 1,66,063, of whom 82,865 are men and 83,198 women. It occupies a strategic position in the Cauvery delta region, but failed to become a district headquarters.

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