Other party candidates in Vellore rethink strategies after DMK sweep

The AIADMK received a severe drubbing at the hands of the DMK and it has caused concern among its candidate in the Vellore seat, sources revealed.

It may be recalled that elections to the Vellore Lok Sabha seat were countermanded at the last minute after campaigning ended on April 16 due to cash in crore being discovered at the houses of persons close to DMK candidate Kathir Anand.

With the polls likely to be announced any day, NDA candidate AC Shanmugam, AMMK candidate and former AIADMK minister K Pandurangan and some independents have been forced to rethink their campaign strategies.

AMMK’s nominee piously stated that “I will contest again if the party leader wants me to.”

Accepting that party cadre were shocked at the results in which party candidates lost miserably, including their deposits he said “the high command knows my physical and financial condition. If they want me to contest, as a loyal soldier I will.”

NTK (Naam Tamilar Katchi) candidate Deepa Lakshmi when asked for her views said, “We feel happy as without giving cash to the voting public, we were able to get this response. So I plan to contest when polls are announced again.”

MNM (Makkal Needhi Maiyam) candidate Suresh was not available for comments, but some time ago had told this reporter that he would definitely contest when the polls were announced again.

In the AIADMK camp of Shanmugam, the strategy is being worked around the fact that all state ministers and even some central ministers will focus on this constituency.

Meanwhile, sources in the DMK said, “Kathir Anand is hopeful that he will be allowed to contest again. He hopes that the present anti-incumbency wave against both the state and central governments will hold good among Vellore voters too till the polls are announced so that the DMK wins.”