TIRUNELVELI: On a day of hectic parleys, Electricity Minister P Thangamani exuded confidence that AIADMK candidate V Narayanan would pip the opponents to the post by at least 30,000 votes.
Earlier in the day, a seven-minister delegation called on Tamilaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK) leader John Pandian, but could not make much headway.
While analysts predicted a rough sail for the current dispensation in the wake of caste outfits’ refusal to join the AIADMK alliance, Thangamani claimed that his party would ride on the wave of popularity of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa and the incumbent Edappadi K Palaniswami to record a major victory.
“V Narayanan comes from a poor family in Nanguneri.
He would defeat the imported candidate of Congress. While our government’s achievements in offering subsidised two-wheelers to women and financial assistance to farmers would help us gain votes, the DMK is banking entirely on money power,” he said.
Later, Minister Dindigul Srinivasan inaugurated the AIADMK’s election office in Nanguneri, following which ministers V M Rajalakshmi, Sellur Raju, Kamaraj, C Vijayabaskar and M R Vijayabaskar campaigned for V Narayanan at Seevalaperi, Kansapuram, Marudhur, Keezhapattam, Thirumalaikozhunthu and Melapattam.
Meanwhile, Congress came out all guns blazing, with TNCC president K S Alagiri, AICC secretary (in-charge of the State) Sanjay Dutt and other senior Congress leaders campaigning for Ruby Manoharan for the second day in Nanguneri.
‘IMPORTED CANDIDATE’
While analysts predicted a rough sail for the current dispensation, Thangamani expressed confidence of a win. “V Narayanan comes from a poor family in Nanguneri. He would defeat the imported candidate of Congress. While our government’s achievements in offering subsidised two-wheelers to women and financial assistance to farmers would help us gain votes, the DMK is banking entirely on money power,” he said.