May 19 bypolls, a spoilsport for most state leaders’ vacation plans

DMK president MK Stalin, who pays an annual visit to London during dog days, has stayed put in the state for the bypoll campaign. The DMK president was learnt to have chosen not to plan trips till the end of May. Though the campaign would be wound up on the evening of May 17, only a week would be left for the results.

Given his habit of spending a fortnight in the UK capital, there would be hardly be any time left to cool his heels in Europe. In the week after judgment day on May 23, parties would be engaged in hectic parleying. Add spin doctors forecast of a hung Parliament, leaders would not be able to spare time for leisure till the end of May, says a source in the DMK requesting anonymity said.

Elsewhere, in the AIADMK camp, all leaders, but Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, have confined themselves to their respective hometowns to do their bit in the bypoll. Panneerselvam has reportedly camping in Varanasi, ostensibly, to perform rituals for his late father. However, the alibi proved to be a hard sell among his own party men who suspect that the Deputy CM had fled to the holy city to warm up to BJP top brass.

That his trip has coincided with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah’s rally in Varanasi has only lent credence to the speculation among party workers who fear that the Deputy CM has attempted to cajole the BJP bosses and increase his political stakes after the polls.

Even young MLAs and party functionaries have either delayed their visit to their favourite summer getaways or kept it under wraps to avoid media criticism and uncomfortable questions from the leaders. Curiously, the hectic campaigning did not prevent the leaders from frequenting their favourite deities to turn the political tide in their favour.