Kanimozhi asked to stay put in Ottapidaram, Nehru camping too

Party Rajya Sabha MP and Women’s Wing secretary Kanimozhi, who was engaged in a break-neck speed poll campaign in her Thoothukudi constituency since March last has been asked to stay put in bypoll bound Ottapidaram constituency which falls within Thoothukudi. Kanimozhi has been accompanying her brother cum party president since Monday, a day before Stalin had originally planned to kickstart his by poll campaign. The Rajya Sabha MP has been instructed to muster support among women voters in the southern seats.

Even Chennai (south) district secretary M Subramanian has camped in Ottapidaram to engage in the campaign, as did his colleague KN Nehru from Tiruchy, who has been appointed in-charge of one of the constituencies.

Stalin had appointed his deputy organising secretary I Periasamy, district secretaries K Ponmudi and EV Velu in-charge of the other three constituencies. As if the select district secretaries known for their brisk electioneering and spending capacity were not enough, the party has also deputed half a dozen district secretaries and ex-ministers to coordinate poll work with the in-charges of the respective Assembly constituencies.

Significantly, Murasoli Managing Trustee Udhayanidhi Stalin, who was the second most visible campaigner of the DMK after its president and his father Stalin, has not hit the campaign trail for the May 19 by-election thus far.

Curiously, none of the alliance leaders of the DMK have so far made public his/her campaign itinerary, let alone hitting the campaign trail.