CHENNAI: With polling for the Assembly elections concluding on a largely peaceful note, political parties in Tamil Nadu have shifted gears from high-decibel campaigning to closed-door reviews, strategy huddles and brief breaks ahead of the results.
DMK president and Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday met candidates from Chennai and neighbouring districts, including Harbour candidate and minister PK Sekar Babu. He later visited the party’s election strategy office, PEN, in Teynampet.
Sources said Stalin sought detailed feedback on the party’s prospects in and around Chennai and was briefed on areas where the DMK could face stiff competition from the AIADMK. He is also learnt to have reviewed reports on booth-level performance and gaps in ground mobilisation.
The chief minister is scheduled to leave for Kodaikanal with his family on Saturday for a four-day break.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin travelled to Europe with his family and is expected to return on May 2, sources added.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, who is camping in Salem, held consultations with party functionaries. BJP vice president KP Ramalingam met Palaniswami and expressed confidence that he would emerge as the next CM.
NTK Seeman, currently in Chennai, condemned the alleged attack on party candidate Anees Fathima in Papanasam and urged police to immediately arrest those responsible.
TVK president Vijay also held consultations with senior party functionaries, including N Anand, K A Sengottaiyan, Aadhav Arjuna and John Arokiyasamy. Sources said he reviewed zone-wise polling patterns and assessed the party’s performance across constituencies.