ADMK Minister R P Udaykumarv shocked the PMK when he said that the 20% reservation for Vanniyars was only for six months and a temporary measure. Coming from a EPS loyalist and Minister who once advocated that Chinnamma should be CM and had agreed to vacate his seat for Sasikala to contest after she was elected General secretary is seen as the mood of the the ADMK candidates who are banking on Thevar and Gounder votes . This has also blunted the PMK claim that it had got reservation for the caste it represents due to the protests and hard bargaining with ADMK.
Speaking at an election meeting near Thirumangalam ( Madurai) , Udaykumar said that many were asking about the 20% reservation given to Vanniyars. This was necessary as the caste wise census is going on and will finish after 6 months. This legislation is only till then, he said.
PMK leaders were shocked as the whole protest looked like a drama for temporary relief and were only a posture to hoodwink them and get votes. The speech by R P Udaykumar is not taken likely as he is said to close to EPS and also a veteran politician who is not known for shooting off his mouth to get claps.
By stating the reservation as temporary, the ADMK was sending out a message that the Rtd Justice Kulasekharan Committee constituted to conduct a caste - tribe wise survey findings would only be the basis of any `permanent' measure.
ADMK sources say that the candidates are finding it difficult to answer why Vanniyars were given 10.5% within the Most Backward Classes (MBC)- De-notified communities (DNC) when other castes have 10.5% only and Vanniyars 20% ?. The Thirumangalam constituency is dominated by Thevars and Gounders . Udaykumar could have said the truth to pacify these castes, felt ADMK.
The 10.5% internal reservation for Vanniyars has angered the Thevars since they are left with 7.5% and DNC with 2.5%. There are 107 communities in these two groups. The Anbashankar commission in 1982 put the Vanniyars population at 13% when the District Collectors report put it at 8%.
VCK (Thol Thiruma) and AMMK ( TTV) are already driving home the injustice to the Dalits and Thevars and a caste polarisation is said to be forming against the ADMK which is aligned with BJP seen as upper caste party. Udaykumar could have said this to fend off Thevar anger feels the party sources. The pre-poll survey also points to PMK faring badly in the 23 seats given to them.
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