Chennai: All eyes are on three constituencies — Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s and the seats chosen by her archrivals M. Karunanidhi and M. K. Stalin. While it is being widely speculated that the AIADMK supremo might stay with Radhakrishnan Nagar, considering that her government had taken considerable measures to win the loyalty and love of the electorate, some poll pundits are predicting that Karunanidhi could opt for the compact Chepauk and son Stalin has already started work in his Kolathur constituency.
A few feel that the nonagenarian will choose native Tiruvarur for sentimental reasons—wouldn’t it be lovely to play the swansong in those green fields back home but then it is difficult to say whether Kalaignar has begun to think of an adieu. Actually, Harbour is floating around as the ‘dark horse’ amid the few choices before the grand old man of Indian politics.
The situation is such that north Chennai political functionaries of both DMK and the AIADMK are now working over time burning the midnight oil as all the high profile constituencies are coming under north Chennai.
For AIADMK north Chennai (north) district secretary P. Vettrivel it is a prestigious issue to ensure that his party wins all the constituencies and his name is also making rounds among the party workers as a probable candidate against the mighty M. K. Stalin. “Amma will always pitch in only a heavyweight against Stalin and even during last polls Stalin just scrapped through a marginal votes of 2,700 votes against AIADMK’s Saidai S. Duraisamy. And this time if he is defeated, it will be a bonanza for the ruling AIADMK”, said Poonganagar Selvam, an AIADMK functionary.
“In 2011, the AIADMK attempted to manipulate the results and the counting was suspended till late evening. But this time, our maths and strategies are clear for Kolathur. More young blood has been infused in to the party”, said a DMK divisional secretary adding that it is a door or die situation for north Chennai DMK district secretary P. K. Sekar Babu, who also reportedly refused to contest against Ms Jayalalithaa in the RK Nagar bypoll.
Countering the DMK’s poll campaign, the AIADMK had also appointed additional booth observers at micro level. The ruling party is also in process of forming women campaigners to reach the urban and middle class women voters who usually remain indoors on the polling date. Both DMK and the AIADMK ward secretaries and councillors are also now ascertaining the caste background of voters and have estimated about 40,000 vanniyar votes in the constituency.
