Puducherry, April 6 While the campaign for the Assembly elections has reached a fever pitch, AINRC founder and Chief Minister N Rangasamy is a picture of composure.
Dressed in a spotless white dhoti and a kurta-like long shirt, the 75-year-old Rangasamy remains smiling as he goes door-to-door seeking votes and makes it a point to distribute pamphlets on achievements.
A four-time chief minister, he is a bachelor and a law graduate, and he is contesting from the two constituencies – Thattanchavady and Mangalam – for a fifth term. The campaign of the veteran leader, who started his career in the Congress party before launching his own party, AINRC, in 2011, offers interesting insights.
Local people, in several places, transform the campaign into a kind of grievance redressal meeting, with some wanting their community to be included in the most backward category, and others making various requests, including a demand for housing titles.
To all these requests, the chief minister politely responds from his campaign vehicle. "Only we will form the next government. Don't worry; your grievances will be addressed."
Whether in his interactions with the public, while seeking votes, or even while taking on political rivals, he remains composed and speaks in a soft, patronizing tone.
His admirers hail him as "Vaazhum Kamarajar" (Living Kamaraj, the iconic former CM of Tamil Nadu, a freedom fighter) and "Makkalin Muthalvar" (People's Chief Minister). They proudly say that he always responds to invitations from people, whether for a domestic function or a wedding, and he never says no to public requests.
He is a popular leader who has been in politics for about four decades, and several people regard him as a spiritual seeker and a gentle disciplinarian. A devout devotee of the revered saint, Appa Paithiyam Swamigal, Rangasamy always wears sacred ash on his forehead. The photo of the spiritual guru adorns his campaign vehicle, as well as appears prominently in his campaign materials.
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