CHENNAI: Anticipating the ruling AIADMK’s full use of official machinery to retain the Vellore Lok Sabha seat in the election scheduled for August 5, the principal opposition party DMK is deploying its entire manpower, drawn from all its 64 district units, to campaign in and win the constituency. In the Vellore LS election, which was rescinded in April over charges of voter bribing, the DMK is again fielding D Kathir Anand, son of Duraimurugan, former minister and DMK deputy floor leader in Assembly. Moreover, to facilitate campaign by parties, the Assembly session is set to end 10 days in advance.
The DMK has appointed a five-member team including two Lok Sabha members and two MLAs for overall election work in the constituency and also put six former ministers in charge of six Assembly constituencies falling under the Vellore constituency, apart from around 40 MLAs.
According to party sources, former minister K Ponmudi has been deployed for Vellore Assembly constituency, I Periyasamy for Anaikattu, KN Nehru for KV Kuppam, T.M. Anbarasan for Gudiyatham, AV Velu for Ambur and S Muthusamy for Vaniyampadi.
It may be recalled that the DMK bagged Ambur with the margin of 37,264 votes and Gudiyatham with the margin of 27,161 votes in the recent Assembly by-elections. The party has four MLAs each from Vellore, Anaikkattu, Kudiyatham and Ambur out of six Assembly segments falling under the Vellore parliamentary constituency. Hence, the DMK is hopeful of winning Vellore too in a continuation of its recent LS poll-winning streak.
Assembly session
to conclude early
To facilitate campaign by all parties, the State’s Assembly session is scheduled to conclude 10 days in advance.