Dharmapuri: Veerappan’s widow campaign in PMK bastion trouble

Dharmapuri: Veerappan's widow, Muthulakshmi, supporting the DMK party, has to stop her poll campaign following trouble from local villagers of Nathamedu.

On Friday, Muthulakshmi was in Pappireddipatti, where re-polling is to be held for few booths due to reports of irregularities during the polls held along with the elections for the Dharmapuri parliament polls.

As many as 6,000 voters in eight booths including Nathamedu will re-exercise their voting rights on May 19. The slain forest brigand's widow, who before the parliament elections joined T. Velmurugan's Tamilaga Vazhurimai Katchi (TVK), had been to Nathamedu to canvass votes in support of S.Senthil Kumar and A. Mani.

Senthil Kumar, a DMK candidate, faces Anbumani Ramadoss of the PMK contesting for the Dharmapuri parliament constituency. Another DMK candidate Mani, was fielded against A. Govindasamy contesting the bypolls in the AIADMK ticket for Papprireddipatti assembly constituency.

Muthulakshmi told Deccan Chronicle that Nathmedu residents tried to stop her campaigning in the village as the locals have taken a decision not allow other political parties to seek votes, except for the Pattali Makkal Katchi.

"Is it right to say that other political parties should not seek vote in Nathamedu where the PMK claims it to be their bastion," Muthulakshmi said.

"I realised that the situation was not good and moved out of the village, leaving them a message to vote for the person who will do them good," she added. Muthulakshmi also said that the PMK has won the Pennagaram assembly constituency because of the support of her husband, Veerappan, who believed that the PMK leaders will work for the welfare of his community people.

"I'm not against my people, but oppose the PMK leaders who mislead our community youth instead of giving them a decent livelihood. It took 14 years for us to realise our mistake, and soon they (PMK cadres) will understand the truth in our claim," she said.