Kin try to give Veerappan a Robin Hood aura, join fray as 'defenders of Tamil nationalism'

SALEM: Two decades aft dreaded wood brigand Veerappan was killed successful a constabulary brushwood successful Tamil Nadu, his girl and widow are attempting to rewrite his communicative - from that of a feared outlaw to a defender of Tamil rights - done electoral politics.Veerappan's elder girl Vidhyarani, 35, an advocate, is contesting from Mettur constituency arsenic a campaigner of Naam Tamilar Katchi, portion his widow Muthulakshmi is successful the fray from Krishnagiri connected behalf of Tamilaga Vazhvurimai Katchi. Both the parties backmost 'Tamil nationalism'."If my begetter were live today, helium would person entered the antiauthoritarian process, too," says Vidhyarani, who is investigating electoral waters for the 2nd time.

She had earlier contested the 2024 Lok Sabha polls from Krishnagiri arsenic an NTK candidate, polling implicit 1 lakh votes.For Muthulakshmi too, this marks a instrumentality to authorities aft her debut arsenic an autarkic campaigner successful the 2006 assembly elections.Both the women person embraced Veerappan's arguable bequest alternatively of shying distant from it, and question to repaint him. "He was not the dreaded transgression helium was made retired to be.

He stood against exploitation and injustice," Vidhyarani said astatine a rally successful Mettur, drafting large cheers, peculiarly from young supporters. Her run echoes NTK's halfway plank of Tamil nationalism.NTK main Seeman was vocal successful his enactment for Veerappan. "If Prabhakaran (LTTE chief) was the guardian of our race, Veerappan was the guardian of our forests," helium said portion canvassing for her.Vidhyarani's governmental travel began with Pattali Makkal Katchi, which draws its enactment from Vanniyars, a numerically beardown assemblage dispersed crossed much than a twelve districts successful Tamil Nadu.

She joined BJP successful 2020, earlier switching to NTK successful 2024.In Krishnagiri, Muthulakshmi focusses connected agrarian distress successful her campaigns. "I person lived among farmers. My combat is for water, crops and dignity," she told TOI.Both support that they look nary hostility owed to their past. "On the contrary, radical respect us," Vidhyarani said.Observers judge their introduction could dent PMK - an AIADMK state - peculiarly successful the Vanniyar-dominated Mettur and Krishnagiri belts. While neither campaigner foregrounds caste, they are expected to pull a stock of the assemblage votes, which are different expected to spell for PMK.