

CHENNAI: DMK president MK Stalin on Saturday held consultations with party functionaries from five Assembly constituencies - Tiruchy East, Karur, Perundurai, Viralimalai and Ambasamudram - and directed them to prepare for possible bypolls.
Stalin is said to have asked the functionaries to step up election-related work and submit panels of potential candidates to the party leadership, as the bypolls could be announced once the legal hurdles are cleared.
The DMK leadership is keen to win all five seats, particularly after the party finished second in the recent by-elections to Madurantakam and Dharapuram, pushing the AIADMK to third place in both constituencies.
It may be noted that AIADMK MLAs representing Karur, Perundurai, Viralimalai and Ambasamudram resigned and joined the ruling TVK.
Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, who won from both Perambur and Tiruchy East in the Assembly elections, resigned from the latter constituency to retain Perambur.