Vaiko, Thirumavalavan kept low this season

Known for their exemplary oratorical skills and ability to connect with the masses, the two leaders have kept low in the just concluded campaign. A whirlwind campaigner, who is good at covering distance with ease, Vaiko was hardly to be seen in the campaign. The firebrand speaker confined his canvassing to select candidates and that too prominent names, who had invited him to woo the voters.

So low was his campaign that the MDMK general secretary was hardly to be seen in the mainstream. Thanks to his candidature, the VCK general secretary would have been blacked out in the campaign, but for a few pockets of northern Tamil Nadu. Grapevine has it that the DMK had instructed Thirumavalavan to stay within the confines of his Chidambaram constituency. The VCK chief was only seen campaigning for his party colleague D Ravikumar in Villupuram and Paarivendar in Perambalur.

Social media was flooded with messages accompanying an alleged video showing ‘strangers’ removing the VCK flag from the festoons bearing flags of all constituent parties of the DMK alliance. In the rival camp, Tamil-speaking Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman did not even campaign once, probably, deeming it fit to keep mum in the interest of the party candidates in the state. Also conspicuous by their absence were the usual ‘erstwhile’ actor turned platform speakers like Vindya (former DMDK), comedian Senthil and Singamuthu who were having a gala time during the hay day of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa.