Mixed bag for film stars in TN polls

The bond between tinseltown and politics in Tamil Nadu came to the fore for yet another time in the elections, with select celebrities making and breaking it in the elections to 232 assembly constituencies.
While veterans like the late MG Ramachandran, M Karunanidhi and J Jayalalithaa have already made their mark in politics, many of their junior colleagues threw their hats in the ring this time too.
While actors like Vagai Chandrasekar and Karunaas won, it was not so sweet news for action heroes Vijaykant and R Sarath Kumar, both of whom lost.
Chandrasekar (DMK) won from Velacherry defeating his nearest AIADMK rival by about 11,000 votes.

Karunaas, also vice president of South Indian Artiste's Association, made his political debut in the elections and started off on a winning note.
The actor, who runs a small outfit, won in Tiruvadanai constituency where he defeated DMK candidate S P Thivakaran by a margin of 8,696 votes.

Former President of SIAA, and Sarath Kumar, who tried his luck from Tiruchendur, was handed down a defeat by local DMK heavyweight Anita S Radhakrishnan.
In 2011, Sarath Kumar had emerged winner under the AIADMK alliance contesting from Tenkasi.
Another actor-politician who lost this year's polls is DMDK Chief Vijaykant, fondly addressed as "Captain" among his supporters.

Vijaykant, Chief Ministerial candidate of DMDK-PWF-TMC combine, unsuccessfully contested from Ulundurpettai constituency. He had won from Vriddhachalam and Rishivanthiyam constituencies in the previous polls.
He came a poor third securing 34,447 votes. AIADMK retained the seat.
Noted actor Raja Krishnamoorthy alias Kitty, who contested the polls as an independent, lost from Velacherry constituency.