ACS to file papers in Vellore today, campaign to pick up

Meanwhile, the DMK released a list of party heavyweights who will anchor the campaign in the six Assembly segments, on Tuesday. Those in charge of the entire constituency include MPs TR Baalu and S Jagatrakshagan and MLAs R Gandhi (Ranipet) and AP Nandakumar (Anaicut) and Vellore west party district coordinator Muthuamilselvi.

The list includes party men from all over the state who are to work in the six Assembly constituencies. Former ministers K Ponmudi and I Periasamy are in charge of Vellore and Anaicut Assembly segments while KN Nehru and DP Anbarasu will oversee KV Kuppam and Gudiyattam constituencies. Ambur and Vaniyambadi constituencies will be looked after by AV Velu and Erode K Muthusamy.

AIADMK cadre meanwhile are unhappy with the way Shanmugam addressed party men recently when he said that they should not kill the goose which laid golden eggs. In another meet, he said the AIADMK will be decimated totally if it failed to win the Vellore LS seat. Said cadre N Kumaresan “as a former AIADMK MP who won the Arni Assembly and Vellore LS seats in the early eighties we do not know why he spoke thus.”

Shanmugam, who participated in a series of cadre meetings in Vellore town on Tuesday was happy that anticipated trouble from a former district secretary did not materialise due to the way district treasurer M Moorthy handled the meetings. But cadres wonder why Shanmugam –who announced many people related schemes which have already completed one round in all constituencies –has not announced anything to woo Muslims who number around 3.50 lakh in Vellore, Ambur, Vaniyambadi and Gudiyattam constituencies.

Former MLA J Hassan handed over to Collector A Shanmugasundaram, a copy of the letter to the Chief Election Commissioner calling for scrapping the Vellore LS polls till a strong monitoring process was enforced to prevent use of money power. Citing the Aravakurichi and RK Nagar Assembly polls he said in both cases similar to the Vellore LS poll, elections were stopped and conducted later wasting people’s money while no action was taken on those responsible for this state of affairs.