PUDUCHERRY: After switching parties and shifting constituency, former PWD minister A Namassivayam, who left the Congress and is contesting as the BJP candidate from Mannadipet Constituency, has shifted his residence to Thirukkanur in the constituency.
Namassivayam, who contested from Villianur on a Congress ticket, won the 2011 and 2016 elections. This time, having joined BJP, he has moved to Mannadipet since Villinaur constituency has a large number of minority votes.
However, he maintains that, since he wanted the NDA to secure both constituencies, he shifted to Mannadipet and offered Villinaur to NR Congress.
In this backdrop, for convenience of meeting people and campaigning, he has rented a house at Thirukkanur and shifted along with his family members.
On Thursday morning, wearing a lungi and t-shirt, he went to a tea shop on his motorcycle and had tea along with BJP volunteers and mingled with residents of the village, perhaps to show that he is one of them. Incidentally, the constituency has a large chunk of Vanniyar voters, the community to which he belongs.