Annadurai's Son Contesting As An Independent

2011-04-03 16:50:00

Last Updated: 2011-04-03 182:21

CHENNAI

                                         FIRST CHIEF MINISTER OF TAMIL NADU DMK C.N.ANNA DURAI

It is his dream of 40 years that C.N.A. Gouthaman, one of the four adopted sons of DMK founder and chief minister of Tamil Nadu late C.N. Annadurai, is now realising in 2011 - to contest in Tamil Nadu assembly elections.

Staying away from politics all these years, 64-year-old Gouthaman is now contesting as an independent from Anna Nagar constituency here with the ceiling fan symbol.

When queried that he could have entered politics earlier as Annadurai died in 1969, Gouthaman told IANS: 'I am a book publisher. I publish only those books penned by my father. My father didn't encourage us getting into politics and we stayed away all these years. I also did not approach any political party for a seat.'

'But it was my dream of 40 years to contest in the Tamil Nadu assembly elections,' he said.

He said he was in Bangalore for a long time as his late wife Thulasi hailed from there and came back here in 1980s.

According to Gouthaman, the AIADMK in 1970s and the DMK in 1980s had offered his elder brother Parimalan a Lok Sabha seat to contest which was politely declined.

Two years back Parimalan, a doctor, committed suicide as he was suffering from heart ailment.

A Bachelor of Arts graduate from Madras University, Gouthaman studied in Pachaiyappan College where Annadurai also had studied.

According to the affidavit filed by Gouthaman with the Election Commission, he owns cash of Rs.75,000, a house here with a market value of Rs.8 million.

The upmarket Anna Nagar constituency is currently held by DMK's senior leader Arcot N. Veerasamy. However, the DMK has allotted the seat to the Congress which has fielded V.K. Arivazhagan. The AIADMK is fielding Gokula Indira, a former MP.

A total of 20 candidates are in the fray from the constituency to enter the 234-member Tamil Nadu assembly.

On his campaign strategy Gouthaman said: 'I do only door to door canvassing. People know me as I am a resident of this constituency for a long time.'

As he did not have a child of his own Annadurai adopted his sister's four grandsons -- Parimalan, Ilangovan, Rajendran and Gouthaman.

Courtesy:Sify News