Overwhelming response to O Panneerselvam group’s strike call in districts

In Coimbatore, three sitting MPs and five MLAs took part in the fast. More than 4,000 persons, including around 750 women, participated in the fast at Sivanandha Colony in Coimbatore. Sitting MLAs VC Arukutty (Kavundampalayam), OK Chinnaraj (Mettupalayam) and PRG Arun Kumar (Coimbatore North), former agriculture minister S Damodaran and former Mayor P Rajkumar were among those who participated in the fast in Coimbatore. 

In Salem, the hometown of Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisamy, there was a huge turnout at the fast venue, which was located near the district Collectorate. 

Interestingly, the gathering was much more in size than the crowd that gathered to greet Palaniswamy on his maiden visit to his home town as Chief Minister on Tuesday. 

Sources said that around 8,000 persons took part in the fast. Traffic came to a standstill in the important junction. The Lone MLA from the district, S Semmalai, who crossed to the OPS faction, led the fast. 

Among those who took part in the fast we former MLAs SK Selvam, MK Selvaraj, Vijayalakshmi Palanisamy, S E Venkatachalam and L Ravichandran. 

Krishnagiri district outplayed all other pockets in the west as , more than 15,000 cadre participated in the fast. Former minister KP Munusamy kick started the fast that was led by sitting MP K Ashok Kumar and Uthangarai MLA N Manoranjitham. 

In Namakkal town, more than 2,000 persons led by MP PR Sundaram, observed a fast, followed by Tirupur where 700 cadre joined the agitation and in Erode recorded around 500 cadre participated. 

The fast evoked an overwhelming response in all the southern districts. 

At Madurai, the crowd kept swelling and at one point of time there was no space for the supporters at the venue. 

Around 10,000 had gathered at the fast which was held at Palanganatham.