CHENNAI: “Even if all 16,000-odd first-time voters back TVK, the DMK will still win Egmore by a massive margin,” says a confident Prasanna Sundaram alias Tamilan Prasana, DMK’s Egmore candidate and practicing lawyer. Here is a short interview with him: How do you assess your opponents’ strength in the constituency?They are yet to gain organizational ground. AIADMK could not even mobilize crowds for their campaign. Until recently, they did not even have a campaign office. I set up this campaign office in Purasawalkam well before the polls were announced and even before my candidature was confirmed. I do not face meaningful challenge from AIADMK and TVK.Why did the DMK change its candidate? Was it due to any intra-party issue?There is no personal or political agenda behind the decision. Our Thalaivar (leader) chief minister MK Stalin is the ultimate authority to take such decisions. I have been working in the constituency for the past 15 years. Every time my name would be proposed, it was not chosen for various reasons. This time, the party decided to field me.Encroachment menace is rampant in Egmore constituency. Will you remove them or go soft on them as they are a big vote bank?My priority will be to have a balanced approach. I will work to construct at least 1,000 houses to provide a dignified living to the slum dwellers on lands available near Ooteri burial ground, Thidir Nagar and Kannigapuram grounds near the Nehru Stadium. I will ensure that their livelihood is not affected. Since there is a major chunk of working/labour-class population in the constituency, I will work to enroll them in the welfare board for unorganized workers so that they and their family will get some basic benefits. Efforts will be made to provide vocational training to women to earn their livelihood.Do you fancy a win?Absolutely. The party has a solid base of over 1 lakh voters in the constituency. In 2021, DMK’s I Paranthaman won with a 33% vote margin.
