Chennai: They are not contesting the Lok Sabha polls, but they are spending sleepless nights managing party workers and door to door campaigns.
City mayor Saidai S. Duraisamy of AIADMK and former mayor M. Subramanian of DMK are now early birds kick-starting the campaign by 6 am. For former deputy mayor, Karate R. Thiagarajan, and former Pallavakkam municipal chairman, Somu, the task is even more tougher as they have to garner votes for the local Congress and the MDMK candidates who are fighting Dravidian majors.
“The mayor usually steps out from his residence by 6.30 am but now he is out by 5.30 am. At times he even skips meals or eats outside, breaking his routine,” said one of the mayor’s personal assistants.
Duraisamy mostly eats only home food, avoids oily food and pickle, but now his food preferences are taking a back seat, says an AIADMK worker. Currently Duraisamy is focusing more on Central Chennai as he has been appointed the poll manager for the high profile constituency.
For M. Subramaninan, it is more tedious as he is focusing on four constituencies including three in Chennai and neighbouring Tiruvallur district.
“There is an anti-incumbency as the civic woes are rampant in all the city constituencies and the ex-mayor wants to harness votes using this as a poll plank,” says Thulasi, a longtime confidante of Ma Su. Annan starts the day a bit late, by 6.30 am, and returns very late in the night. M. Bhaskaran, an office staff is worried about Karate R. Thiagarajan. “He has always been a crisis manager. Of late, he is skipping breakfast and I am sure he will lose weight this election.”
