CHENNAI: The ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu has stepped up its campaign in 13 constituencies after recent surveys done by party’s campaign managers and inputs from the state intelligence have suggested that the contest in these constituencies could be tougher than what the party had earlier assessed.
As per reliable sources in the DMK, intense campaigns by the opposition parties are proving to be a bigger challenge for the DMK-led alliance in the constituencies that include Namakkal, Tiruppur, Pollachi, Erode, Coimbatore, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Karur, Vellore, Tiruchy, Tirunelveli, Theni, and Ramanathapuram.
The party’s top brass has instructed its cadre to step up their efforts, with star campaigners being strategically deployed to bolster support in vulnerable areas. The party sources from the western districts told TNIE while the party initially believed opposition votes would split, the aggressive campaigning by the AIADMK and the limited capacity of the BJP to split votes have made the contests closer.
The reports based on the survey, primarily based on the work by a private organisation involved in election strategy, provided specific insights into weaknesses and coordination-related issues with alliance partners at the ground level, sources said. Following the reports, DMK leaders held virtual meetings with functionaries and persons in charge of constituencies. It was decided that every assembly constituency’s person in charge should update daily on campaign schedules.
The members of the party’s election war room have been asked to keep a close watch on the works of persons in-charge of different areas and other functionaries. “We have been asked to update details of the morning campaigns of the party cadre such as who led the campaign, how many participated, which areas they visited, how many voters they met personally, what the grievances of the voters are to the higher-ups by 10 am.
Similarly, we have to let them know our evening schedule in the morning itself,” a person in charge of an assembly constituency that falls under the list of the 13 Lok Sabha constituencies, told TNIE. Besides, ministers in charge of districts have been tasked with maintaining regular communication with grassroots functionaries to have a real understanding of ground realities and provide timely updates to party leadership.
When asked about the contests getting closer in 13 constituencies, DMK’s organising secretary RS Bharathi said, “Our surveys have shown that our alliance is strong in all the 40 constituencies, including Puducherry. There is no doubt that we will win all of them.”