King seeks to give Veerappan a Robin Hood aura, joining the fray as ‘defender of Tamil nationalism’

SALEM: Two decades after feared forest bandit Veerappan was killed in an encounter with police in Tamil Nadu, his daughter and widow are trying to rewrite his story through electoral politics – from a feared outlaw to a defender of Tamil rights.Veerappan’s elder daughter Vidhyarani, 35, an advocate, is contesting from Mettur constituency as a candidate from Naam Tamilar Katchi, while his widow Muthulakshmi is contesting from Krishnagiri on behalf of Tamilaga Vazhvurimai Katchi. Both sides support “Tamil nationalism”.“If my father were alive today, he would also have entered the democratic process,” said Vidyarani, who is trying the electoral waters for the second time. She had earlier contested the 2024 Lok Sabha polls from Krishnagiri as the NTK candidate and secured over 1 lakh votes.For Muthulakshmi, it also marked her first return to politics as an independent candidate in the 2006 Assembly elections.Both women embraced Veerappan’s controversial legacy rather than shying away from it and sought to re-portray him. “He is not the terrible criminal that people think he is. He is against exploitation and injustice,” Vidyarani told a rally in Mettur, drawing loud cheers, especially from young supporters. Her campaign echoed the core tenets of NTK’s Tamil nationalism.NTK CEO Seeman has been outspoken in his support of Veerappan. “If Prabhakaran (LTTE leader) is the guardian of our race, then Veerappan is the guardian of our forests,” he said while canvassing for her votes.Vidyalani’s political journey began with Patali Makkal Kutch, which had the support of Vaniyars, a populous community spread across a dozen districts in Tamil Nadu. She joined the BJP in 2020 and switched to NTK in 2024.In Krishnagiri, Muthurakshmi focused on the plight of agriculture during her campaign. “I have been living among farmers. My fight is for water, crops and dignity,” she told TOI.Both insist they face no hostility because of their past. “On the contrary, people respect us,” Vidyalani said.Observers believe their entry could weaken the PMK – an ally of the AIADMK – especially in the Mettur and Krishnagiri belts ruled by Vanya. While neither candidate highlights caste, they are expected to attract a section of community votes that would otherwise go to the PMK.