CHENNAI: With just 10 days to go for the polling in the high-voltage by-election to RK Nagar, parties and candidates are on a high-pitch campaign trail to garner support of the voters, exchanging barbs.
Braving the scorching sun, the politicos are out on the streets moving on open jeeps, walking through narrow lanes and streets to meet the people.
On Sunday, AIADMK-Amma faction candidate TTV Dhinakaran traversed the streets of ward No. 41 wearing hat, his party symbol, and soliciting support from the voters.
He called upon the people to elect him to the Assembly so that he could fulfill the dreams of the late Chief Minister, J Jayalalithaa, who had won twice from the constituency.
His rival candidate E Madhusudanan of the AIADMK-Puratchi Thalaivi Amma (PT Amma) toured the ward No 47, visiting several churches to seek votes. Former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam also campaigned for the veteran leader who had won the polls in the same constituency in 1991.
An AIADMK man, Dr Suneel, campaigned for Madhusudanan in a unique way by parading a bull in order to trumpet former CM Paneerselvam’s key role in restoring jallikattu. DMDK leader Premalatha Vijayakant made a whirlwind tour in the constituency seeking votes for her party’s candidate P Mathivanan.
Attacking both the AIADMK factions and the DMK, she wanted Panneerselvam to reveal the secret things relating to the death of Jayalalithaa.
“They know all that surrounded the death of Jayalalithaa. Panneerselvam suddenly became a man of conscience. He too knows well what had happened. So, he must make everything public,” she stressed.
J Deepa Jayakumar, founder of MGR Amma Deepa Peravai, BJP’s Gangai Amaran and CPM candidate R Loganathan too moved about in RK Nagar seeking votes.