I’m more than my surname: Mohan Kumaramangalam

Nearly 14 years after the demise of BJP leader and former Union minister Rangarajan Kumaramangalam, his son Mohan Kumaramangalam will contest as Congress candidate for Salem. Mohan, 35, spoke to V Senthil Kumaran, about his work in Salem.
Your father quit Congress to join BJP in 1998. Why did you choose Congress ?
My father moved out of Congress in frustration and joined BJP. I am in Congress as I was inspired by Rahul Gandhi.We are close friends from childhood.
You are a novice. How do you plan to take on AIADMK, DMK and DMDK?
The good work done by my father as Salem MP will stand me in good stead. He was instrumental in getting the general hospital and a flyover which people still remember.
Apart from banking on your family name, what are you going to do?
You are right. My father and the Kumaramangalam family did a lot for this constituency . But, I am familiar to voters in Salem and have helped students get educational loans. I brought drinking water to four villages. These projects have made me popular. I have created my own path and am not dependant on my ancestors. I believe in myself.
What are your plans?
Salem is famous for silver, art silk and sago but we don’t have a trade hub. We have to depend on other states and our merchants travel around the country to sell their wares. If we have a trade centre here, buyers from other states will come. I hope to bring textile and IT parks to provide job opportunities.
Most parties, barring Congress, have vote banks in Salem…
Three lakh voters are going to cast their votes for the first time. We believe in the power of the youth and are working for these votes.
Without a principal Dravidian party in tow, can Congress hope to make gains?
Yes. This is the time to prove our strength in Tamil Nadu. Dravidian parties are powerful only in assembly elections, not Lok Sabha. So we are not worried.