Tamil Nadu will have its own AAP moment with boys who ran the successful Jallikattu campaign morphing selves into politicians. Or rather forming a political party to take on the Dravidian majors and other national parties, starting with their first electoral venture – RK Nagar assembly constituency that Jayalalithaa represented in state assembly.

The Tamil Nadu version of the youth and student and professional dominated political party – will give real power to the people. Candidate selection, for RK Nagar constituency for example, will be done by the voters, who will participate in the open selection process.

Seventy five candidates had applied to become party contenders out of whom 25 were shortlisted to undergo rigorous oral test, facing a ten member board of eminent persons from different walks of life, as also the common man. Besides, the voters have been invited to the meeting where they can pose questions to the prospective candidates.

The top five scoring candidates will be further face another round of in depth interview with the party.

‘En Desam En Urimai Katchi’ (My Nation My Right Party) – Supreme Council comprising eminent persons like retied judges, bureaucrats, policemen, artists, civil society members, social activists and the like.

Background check will be made of the candidate shortlisted to fight elections on behalf of the party, said its state coordinator Ebenezer John.

The selected candidate will take on TTV Dinakaran, Sasikala’s nephew and AIADMK deputy general secretary, AIADMK Presidium chairman E Madhusudanan (since expelled and now with OPS camp), Jayalalithaa’s niece Deepa Jayakuamr and DMK candidate in M Ganesh.

The party, born out of the Jallikattu movement, is peopled largely by youngsters, who are fed up of the regular political parties that are neck deep in corruption. Response of the people has been good and encouraging, John said adding “our campaign against money power in polls is finding resonance with the voters of the constituency.”

Only those in the age group of 25 to 55 is eligible to become a candidate of the new party which has prescribed a retiring age to the politicians. After 60, they can continue as mentors. The candidates have to bring a police certificate that no cases were pending against them and also get 100 voters to endorse their candidature in writing.

In RK Nagar and are putting up stickers ‘my vote is not for sale’ on houses in the colony and people do understand the issue.

There is lot of enthusiasm and curiosity about the party, he said adding that there have been some threatening phone calls too. Besides, some political parties were speaking to them, with an intention to lure them to support them instead of taking the field.

Of course, there is no question of withdrawing and we are ready to face any consequences, John said.

“After RK Nagar, we will contest the local body polls,” he said.