VILLUPURAM: With a month to go for the Vikravandi by-election scheduled for October 21, both AIADMK and DMK have already plunged into an electoral battle.
Law Minister CV Shanmugam inaugurated welfare projects worth a few crores. Under the Rural Development Agency Department, he issued house pattas, increased road transport and launched works for drinking water plant in the last one month.
Social welfare schemes like ‘thaaliku thangam’ (gold for mangasutra) were implemented a few hours before the election date was announced on Saturday.
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The party is gearing up for the elections, said V Ramesh, an AIADMK member.
“The constituency though held by the DMK has benefitted from the schemes brought by late CM Jayalalitha. Moreover, people are happy with the present AIADMK rule and hence, we are sure of winning the by-election.”
As for the DMK, sources said former DMK Agriculture Minister A Govindasamy’s son AG Sampath is trying to get the seat allotted to him by the party headquarters.
Vikravandi DMK office sources told Express that Sampath, who allied with MK Alagiri in the past, was likely to get the seat as the cadre in the constituency had put forward his candidature. Sampath has reportedly said, “Is it an offence to seek a seat, after being allied with Alagiri? I am not invited to any of the party meetings in Villupuram district but I will move my candidature.”
Sources said the DMK was mulling over a strategy to take on aggressively the AIADMK campaign by fielding a candidate having a clout with the majority community in the area.
Meanwhile, sources in the Election Commission said about 658 ballot units, 544 control units and 528 VVPAT machines were ready for the by-election to Vikravandi with a voter population of 2, 23, 387, male voters accounting for 1, 11,607, females for 1,11,546 and transgenders for 25.
The constituency will have two more surveillance teams and two more flying squads, along with the existing three teams in each wing. The surveillance and flying squads will be functional round-the-clock, said official sources.
In addition, teams for video viewing, video surveillance and accounting have also been formed, said sources. Election code of conduct has come into force in Villupuram district from September 21 and M Chandrasekhar has been appointed as the election officer, said an ECI release.