Remember bandit Veerappan, the dreaded sandalwood smuggler who terrorized Tamil Nadu and Karnataka? He is long dead of course. But, legends about the smuggler from Satyamangalam forest refuse to die. Years after death, he is back in the news.
His daughter Vidyarani has now joined the BJP. And suddenly everyone is talking about Veerappan again. But, Vidyarani says she has seen her father only once in her life. Veerappan's wife Muthulakshmi has surrendered long before Veerappan died and was pregnant at the time of her surrender. So, Vidyarani studied medicine and entered marital life like any other ordinary girl. But, with her joining the BJP, Veerappan his back into the discourse. But, the real reason for her being wooed by the BJP is not her father, but her caste.
Veerappan is from the Vanniyar caste, which is a dominant caste in poll-bound Tamil Nadu. Hence, the BJP wants to use Vidyarani to get votes. It is because of this that the party has gone out of the way to bring her into the party. No less a person than all India secretary P Muralidhara Rao was present when she was inducted into the party.
His daughter Vidyarani has now joined the BJP. And suddenly everyone is talking about Veerappan again. But, Vidyarani says she has seen her father only once in her life. Veerappan's wife Muthulakshmi has surrendered long before Veerappan died and was pregnant at the time of her surrender. So, Vidyarani studied medicine and entered marital life like any other ordinary girl. But, with her joining the BJP, Veerappan his back into the discourse. But, the real reason for her being wooed by the BJP is not her father, but her caste.
Veerappan is from the Vanniyar caste, which is a dominant caste in poll-bound Tamil Nadu. Hence, the BJP wants to use Vidyarani to get votes. It is because of this that the party has gone out of the way to bring her into the party. No less a person than all India secretary P Muralidhara Rao was present when she was inducted into the party.