From Jayalalithaa’s death to the split in the AIADMK, the subsequent merger, the backbiting, the lies, the cash for votes… If there is one constituency in Tamil Nadu that has watched all this closely in the last year, it’s RK Nagar. Formerly the constituency of Jayalalithaa herself, the people of this Chennai area will tell the politicians of the state what they think of them on Thursday. But just a day before the polls, the people of RK Nagar witnessed more drama.
The disqualified AIADMK MLA and a through and through Sasikala-TTV man, Vetrivel released a video of Jayalalithaa while she was in hospital. This is the first anyone has seen of the late Chief Minister while she was admitted to Apollo, and the political landscape of the state witnessed several mini tremors on Wednesday.
But what do the people think? While some say that the video is proof that the rumours about Jayalalithaa being in a coma throughout her hospital were false, for many others, this is just another gimmick that’s not going to change their mind one way or the other.
A 65-year-old retired government employee tells TNM that the video was simply an attempt by TTV Dhinakaran to prove wrong that the allegations that Sasikala’s family had a hand in Jayalalithaa’s death, and to get some sympathy votes. “But they do not realize that people have already decided who they are going to vote for,” he says.
Some believe that it is clearly a ‘political’ move by TTV Dhinakaran camp. “But I don’t think they will get votes based on this,” says Chinnathampi, a shopkeeper.
One question that many want to ask Vetrivel and the TTV Dhinakaran camp is: why now?
Pothy, an electrician says, “They have put out this video now because they want people to get emotional and vote for them. They never put it out earlier because then they were part of AIADMK.”
“RK Nagar people love Jayalalithaa so they think that after putting such a video, people will start voting for them,” says Gauri, a homemaker.
Some people also feel that the TTV Dhinakaran might be scared of losing elections. “I don’t know if the video is true or not but putting it out at the last-minute looks like they are scared of losing. They could have put it out earlier,” says Shekhar, a businessman.
There are also people like Rajan, a 45-year-old RK Nagar resident, who believe that the video itself is fake.
“If they had this video, why they did not put it out earlier? In the video, she can only be seen drinking from a glass like a doll. She was the Chief Minister of the state, there must have been CCTV footage of her leaving the house and her stay in the hospital, why are such videos never put out? Everyone here understands why they have put out a video now and we do not believe it. Because of this, only their votes will go down,” he says.
However, there are people who do not think it is wrong to put such a video now. “The video must be true and many people have been blaming them for Jayalalithaa’s death, so they want to get justice. I don’t think there is anything wrong in putting the video now,” says Shanmugam, a contractor.
Addressing the media on Wednesday, Vetrivel had said, "Both EPS and OPS were aware of how Jayalalithaa's health was in the hospital. We released this video because there are too many rumours about her condition following her death. They are constantly raising doubts about her death, we thought they will stop but there seems to be no sign. Amma and Chinamma are both important to me. This video was with me even though I hadn't gone into Apollo. OPS, EPS and Vijayabaskar are people who have discussed her treatment and yet they talk in this manner. We have even more evidence in store," Vetrivel told media persons.