The ruling AIADMK is aiming at nothing short of a stupendous victory in the upcoming Sankarankoil by poll. Given the heated exchanges on the bypoll between chief minister Jayalalithaa and leader of Opposition Vijayakanth in the just-concluded Assembly session, the ruling party would hope to hand over Vijayakanth’s DMDK nothing less than forfeiture of deposit.
AIADMK insiders were not averse to saying that the party chief would respond to the actor-politician’s attempt to refer to AIADMK’s Pennagaram poll debacle in the Assembly by working towards DMDK’s deposit forfeit.
A complacent AIADMK camp backs its claim by referring to party candidate S. Muthuselvi campaigning in the nook and cranny of Sanakarankoil, while the Opposition is yet to decide on even contesting the bypolls, leave alone choosing candidates.
The AIADMK high command has deployed a stout force on field by deputing 24 ministers in the 34-member committee constituted to oversee by poll works.
Secretariat sources predict a slew of announcements like new higher education institutions for Sankarankoil by the weekend or before the EC announces bypoll date.
If the DMDK will face the ruling party onslaught for engaging in a war of words, arch rival DMK will have a taste of its own medicine in the bypoll with AIADMK using both money and muscle power at its disposal, remarks writer and political analyst Gnani.
Describing as normal for ruling party to dump all resources and go all out to win the bypolls, Gnani says, “Jayalalitha would preempt the EC notification by announcing something for Sankarankoil. She will definitely work to make DMDK lose deposit.”
While predicting that DMDK might opt out of the poll fray at the nick of time, he said the situation was far worse for the DMK as it faces internal problems. The DMK should conduct a poll between Stalin and Alagiri before taking on rival AIADMK, he sarcastically added.
