Tamil Nadu: DMK Deploys Soothsayer In 'Rationalist Capital' Erode By-polls; Annamalai Takes A Dig

In a video that is going viral on social media, Salem Govindan, a DMK member has been campaigning for the party in the guise of a soothsayer dressed in Hindu religious attire, i.e., wearing a japamala and having a Kudukuduppai (damaru) in hand.

Calling himself 'Jakkamma', he keeps saying slogans in praise of Chief Minister MK Stalin, the DMK party and asks people to vote for EVKS Elangovan.

Known colloquially as the 'Kudukuduppaikaaran' after the 'kudukuduppai' instrument held in their hands, these soothsayers were a popular meme in the 1980s-1990s film industry. They were usually depicted as predicting the future in the name of Jakkamma, a deity traditionally worshipped by the Kambalaththu Naicker caste in southern Tamil Nadu-the community is an equivalent of the Golla or Yadava castes in other states.

Following is a video of Jakkamma's campaign-

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president, K Annamalai chose to take a dig at the DMK because the party formally preaches rationalism and argues against what it calls 'superstitions.'

According to political commentators, while this is not the first time that the DMK has asked Govindan to campaign as Jakkamma, what is even more astonishing is that Erode is the land of Dravidian ideologue EV Ramasamy (Periyar) and his descendant EVKS Elangovan is the candidate in the bypoll.

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