It’s a party that takes pride in sticking to Periyar’s rationalist ideals. But for the Tiruchy unit of the DMK, seeking divine help to win a Lok Sabha seat is nothing to be ashamed of.
The DMK candidate, M N U Anbalagan, commenced his campaign from Sri Akilandeswari Jambukeswarar temple in Tiruvanaikoil on Saturday in the presence of district secretary and former minister K N Nehru.
After the poojas, the campaign team accepted ‘Kumbamariyadai’ and ‘Prasadam’ offered by the temple.
Nehru, along with Anbalagan, reached the four pillar mandapam at the temple at 7.25 am, where the priests were waiting with ‘Poorna Kumbamariyadai’. Upon the team’s arrival, the priests garlanded the candidate and offered ‘prasadam’.
The start, after seeking the blessings of the god was planned by K N Nehru, who has over the time become an ardent believer. Nehru, after accepting the prasadam, prayed for a while and later led the campaign team to the electorate.
Sources in the DMK said that the entire strategy was planned by Nehru to start the party’s campaign at par with the AIADMK candidate, P Kumar, who launched his campaign from Ranga Ranga gopuram at Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam on Saturday. The DMK campaign team later covered wards 1 to 6, from Srirangam to Tiruvanaikoil.
The DMK has in the recent past shown a leaning towards astrology over rational ideals nurtured by Periyar. Recently, during the party’s State conference held here, DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi had arrived after 10.30 am as he apparently wanted to avoid visiting the venue during the ‘Raahu Kaalam’, which was between 9 am and 10.30 on the particular day.