Dindigul: S Sakkarapani of DMK recorded his sixth consecutive victory for Oddanchatram constituency, beating his closest rival NP Natarajan of AIADMK by a margin of almost 29,000 votes.
Speaking to YOU, Sakkarapani said, “I took care of the needs of the people. They ensure my victory election after election. I participate in all the rituals of the people in my riding. They see me as one of their family.
It is his popularity among the masses that has helped him win the last six Assembly elections, as it is no easy feat to overcome an anti-outgoing wave. His accomplishments have even eclipsed the popularity of I Periyasamy, who is the face of DMK in the neighborhood.
Sakkarapani, who is the party’s assembly whip, is from Kallimandayam. He faced his first election in 1996 at the age of 34 and wrested Oddanchatram from AIADMK. Although DMK has seen many ups and downs over the past 25 years, Sakkarapani has not lost the constituency once.
He resisted the anti-presidential waves the party faced in 2001 and 2011. Only three DMK candidates ran successfully in 2001 in southern Tamil Nadu. He was also instrumental in the victories of the deputies of the DMK and its alliance parties in the district.
When he was first elected as a Member of Parliament in 1996, the constituency faced a drinking water crisis. He built overhead tanks and brought drink projects to solve it. Between 2006 and 2011, when MK Stalin was the minister of local government, he took his help in improving basic infrastructure in the constituency, Sakkarapani said.
He says he converted 1,000 mud roads to asphalt roads and helped bring Oddanchatram bypass, Palani-Chennai rail link, Kodai Road-Pollachi four-lane road, the first research center on the maize in Vagarai, four PHC, Palar-Gundar combined drinking water and Rs 630 crore Parambikulam-Aliyar drinking water system, which is expected to take off soon.
“I have modernized more than 35 schools, built 16 youth hostels for students, built 100 dams and free pattas for 20,000 people,” he added.