CHENNAI, April 17 -- India's most notorious poacher and sandalwood smuggler Veerappan is back in Tamil Nadu elections through his wife and daughter who are contesting from different assembly seats on tickets for two regional outfits. The two say they are fighting to restore his "pride" and claim that he was not an individual as he was projected. Veerappan, who belonged to the Vanniyar community, a major influential group in western Tamil Nadu, was killed by the state police in a forest encounter in Papparappati village in Dharmapuri district in October 2004. His daughter Vidhya Rani Veerappan, 35, a lawyer, is contesting in the Mettur assembly segment in Salem district as a candidate of Seeman-led Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK). She made her political debut in 2024 elections. According to the Election Commission, Rani secured 107,000 votes. She bagged 28,000 more votes than the party's candidate received in the 2019 elections. Similarly, her mother Muthulakshmi Veerappan is also in the poll fray as a candidate of the Tamil outfit Thamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi (TVK) in Krishnagiri assembly constituency. Following her husband's demise, Muthulakshmi Veerappan made her political debut after she unsuccessfully contested in 2006 as an independent candidate in the Pennagaram constituency in Dharmapuri district, another Vanniyar community-dominated district. Though it was widely discussed that she would contest in Krishnagiri constituency in 2024 elections, Muthulakshmi did not contest paving the way for her daughter Vidhya Rani. Muthulakshmi Veerappan is contesting for the first time from the Krishnagiri constituency, which houses a large Vanniyar population. Thamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi, the party she represents, was earlier an ally of the ruling DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA). However, during seat-sharing negotiations, party founder S Velmurugan decided to leave the alliance apparently upset over his party being "ignored" and the DMK's "big brother attitude" during the seat-sharing talks. Muthulakshmi Veerappan said, "I have been getting positive response from the people whenever I take up poll campaign." When asked how her daughter is contesting in Mettur and she contesting in Krishnagiri seat (two different candidates in same family), Muthulakshmi said, "Both of our parties align with the core plank of Tamil nationalism." "Though I have been meeting people of Mettur, NTK leader Seeman announced that my daughter Vidhya Rani will contest from the Mettur constituency. After discussing with my party, the leadership (TVK president) T Velmurugan nominated me to contest in the Krishnagiri seat." she said. Rani, when asked whether they (she and her mother) are contesting in two different parties, said their ideologies differ. "My party (NTK) has nominated me to contest from the Mettur assembly seat. I am happy about it," she said. After taking part in a rally led by NTK chief Seeman, Vidhya Rani said her father was not a criminal as he was projected....