Vote from Periyappa?
An unscripted moment unfolded in Gobichettipalayam on Monday, as NTK candidate MK Seethalakshmi, after filing her nomination, approached TVK candidate KA Sengottaiyan at the sub-collector’s office. Addressing him as ‘Periyappa’, she sought his support and even his vote. The appeal appeared to catch the veteran leader off guard. Wearing a smile on his face, Sengottaiyan exchanged a brief greeting, and moved on. The interaction, witnessed by supporters and officials, added a touch of spontaneity to a routine nomination exercise in Erode district
P Srinivasan
Access granted at Nellai
For media persons in Tirunelveli, access to top leaders has often been limited. Meeting Edappadi K Palaniswami during his tenure as chief minister, or the incumbent M K Stalin, to present their demands was no easy task. Typically, only a handful of Nellai Press Club office-bearers secured such interactions.
However, things played out differently on Sunday. Palaniswami, now Leader of the Opposition, made time for journalists during his campaign visit. Around 20 media persons, spanning mainstream channels to YouTube platforms, were invited. Beyond group photographs, he also obliged individual picture requests, marking a rare moment of accessibility
Thinakaran Rajamani