TIRUCHY: Defying the high-decibel push of the powerful DMK and AIADMK, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) cadres in Tiruchy East leaned on an intensive door-to-door campaign for party president C Joseph Vijay, rounding it off with a sizeable bike rally on the final day of canvassing.
While DMK’s sitting MLA Inigo S Irudhayaraj and AIADMK’s G Rajasekar led mega rallies through the campaign days, TVK workers fanned out in small teams across the constituency, targeting “silent voters” and banking on visible local traction for Vijay, party sources said.
Vijay, who has visited Tiruchy thrice — for campaign launch, nomination filing and a subsequent tour — did not return for a final push, leaving cadre-level mobilisation to carry the momentum. Campaign managers, led by election strategist Aadhav Arjuna, had earlier urged functionaries to double down on ground-level outreach, citing a “favourable” mood.
Despite the absence of star reinforcements — a point of discontent among local workers who sought deployment of second-rung leaders — the party persisted with micro-campaigning through Tuesday, even as rivals saturated the segment with top leaders.
By evening, TVK shifted gears, with cadres assembling at Chinthamani under district secretary Karikalan and rolling out a bike rally through Palakkarai, a densely populated pocket, in a final show of strength ahead of polling.