At a time when even fringe outfits attract huge crowds to their meetings, Union Minister P Chidambaram’s campaign at Alangudi here on Tuesday drew only a handful of people, giving an inkling that the party was losing grip over the masses.
Though Chidambaram, present incumbent from Sivaganga constituency, kick started his campaign from Thirukattalai, only 25 villagers were present.
The Union Minister said that neither the DMK nor the AIADMK would be able to form a government at the Centre.
Exhorting the electorate to vote for the Congress for a stable government, the Sivaganga MP said that he had spent his entire MP Local Area Development Fund for the welfare of his constituency.
“I opened 13 branches of various nationalised banks in Alangudi alone and 133 kanmois and 97 ooranis (a small water body) were dug in the area by my efforts,” Chidambaram said.
In Manchan Viduthi, a few village women gathered and Chidambaram told them that the MGNRES beneficiaries were given `148 per day but the women shot back and said they are given only `50. Chidambaram replied, “Our duty ends with allotting the fund. You go and ask your MLA K P Krishnan.” During his campaign, he appealed to the villagers to favour Congress party if the party supreme nominated either him or any one as the candidate.