Millions of supporters, lakhs of cadre, thousands of functionaries, and several hundreds of leaders... all vying for a mere 234 seats in the Assembly.
Discontentment was widespread among aspirants cutting across party lines who failed to get a ticket for this elections.
In the Vellore region, cadre of both the Dravidian majors staged protests across Vaniyambadi, Ambur, KV Kuppam and Ranipet for their leaders being overlooked.
Nilofer Kafeel, the sitting minister from the region, being denied a ticket irked several loyalists.
Led by town presidium chairman Abdul Suban, scores of cadre gathered around the minister’s residence and raised slogans in her support.
Abdul Suban blamed certain local party functionaries for working against Nilofer Kafeel.
In Ambur, supporters of AIADMK’s Madhanur west panchayat union secretary Venkatesan were upset with the party’s choice of K Nazar Mohammed, said sources.
On the DMK side, in Pudukottai, cadre staged agitations against party decision to allocate Aranthangi constituency to Congress.
A DMK functionary tried to immolate himself during the protest, but was saved by policemen. At Anna Arivalayam in Chennai, party cadre raised slogans protesting against allocation of Ponneri constituency to Congress.
A section of DMK cadre staged a protest at Annur against the allocation of Avinashi constituency to Aathi Tamizhar Peravai (ATP) in the DMK-led alliance. The protesters claimed that if the seat were to be allotted to a DMK candidate, the party’s victory was guaranteed.
“But ATP would field a ‘low-weight’ contestant compared to AIADMK’s incumbent MLA P Dhanapal,” they added.
In Sattur, sitting MLA MSR Rajavarman left AIADMK for AMMK after he was denied a ticket for the upcoming polls. Thirteen functionaries left with the MLA, who is said to have had a tussle with a minister from the region.
In Lalgudi, excitement of AIADMK aspirant T Rajaram was very short-lived -- only for a day -- as the seat was reallocated to AIADMK ally TMC on Thursday evening.
In Alangudi, AIADMK cadre staged protest after a turncoat Congress leader, Dharma Thangavel, who joined the ruling party just 40 days back, was given the ticket.
In Chennai, AIADMK cadre from Egmore staged protests against the allocation of this seat to John Pandian’s Thamizhaga Munnetra Kazhagam.
In Srivilliputhur, AIADMK cadre protested by blocking roads condemning the party for denying tickets to the sitting MLAs M Chandra Prabha.
They also demanded to change the announced candidate. Chandra Prabha had won in Srivilliputhur (reserved constituency) by a margin of 36,673 votes and securing 49.32 per cent of the total votes.
In Ramnathapuram, AIADMK workers held a road roko and blocked Ramanathapuram - Pamban highway. They condemned the party high command for allocating the constituency to BJP. Raising slogans that they will not work for the ally, and they demanded to retract the decision.
In Palayamkottai, the AIADMK cadres belonging to Yadava community staged a protest in front of the Alagu Muthu Kone’s statue saying that the party had not given any representation to their community in candidate selection.
They demanded the party high command to place a candidate of their community.
PMK heavyweight quits
A day after PMK announced its candidates, trouble brew in Jayankondam its stronghold. G Vathilingam, a former heavyweight of PMK resigned on Thursday. He was expecting to contest from the seat but the party fielded Advocate Balu.