Campaign takes ‘dark’ turn as leaders leak secrets

Campaigning for his candidate in Namakkal, AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran said that he would reveal the secrets about Pollachi sex racket after May 23, the date of counting. For a moment during the campaign, people listening to him feared that he might name someone in the racket. Voters have reason to expect surprises from Dhinakaran given that it was he who had dropped a bombshell by releasing a video of bedridden Jayalalithaa drinking juice and watching television, barely a couple of days ahead of the infamous RK Nagar by-election which he eventually won.

Just when the media was engrossed in the I-T raids at DMK Treasurer Duraimurugan’s premises in Vellore, the image of former AIADMK MLA G Markandeyan hit the headlines. The former Vilathikulam MLA, who was denied ticket said the ruling party had offered to pay him  Rs 10 crore to withdraw his nominations. Markandeyan who has filed nominations in Vilathikulam bypoll as an independent, said that he was denied ticket at the behest of Minister Kadambur Raju and the ruling AIADMK had offered him Rs 10 crore to withdraw his nominations.

“They promised to offer me a welfare board and district secretary post after election if I withdrew my nomination, but I declined,” Markandeyan thundered into the microphone from his campaign vehicle, a week after he defended his party in TV debates.