AMMK to focus on areas with strong base for local polls

The rebel AMMK, led by RK Nagar MLA TTV Dhinakaran, which failed to make a mark in the recent Lok Sabha and bypolls, had decided to focus only in areas where the party has a strong base.

“With no common symbol being awarded by the Election Commission and cadre migrating to the AIADMK, the party is now depending on its district-level functionaries,” revealed a senior AMMK functionary, who is also a member of the party election committee.

“We are confident of creating an impact for the ruling AIADMK and there are taluks where the prospects of the AMMK candidates are better than the AIADMK and DMK. Ramanathapuram, Madurai, Thanjavur, Theni are areas where the party is focusing on. The AMMK will certainly make a mark in this civic poll, a party senior said.

Meanwhile, the ruling AIADMK, which has distanced itself from the ongoing CAA protests, had intensified its poll campaign in rural areas. The AIADMK functionaries vested with the campaign duty had also succeeded in electing a few thousands of their candidates. According to the latest notification from the Tamil Nadu State Election Commission, a record of 18,570 candidates have emerged elected unopposed. Interestingly, many of the unopposed candidates are from the AIADMK.

The BJP, an ally of the AIADMK, which is headless without a state president, had decided to rope in cine actors Namitha and Gayathri Raghuraman to be part of the statewide election campaign by the saffron party. The national party is also working on a campaign schedule for its star campaigners which include former minister Pon Radhakrishan, BJP national secretary H Raja and state secretaries Vaanathi Srinivasan and KT Raghavan.

The State Election Commission had also released the final list of candidates and the symbols are to be fixed to ballot papers by Monday. The SEC in a communique to the district election officers also instructed to adhere to the restrictions imposed on loudspeakers used for campaign and ensure that the graffiti and wall posters are removed where poll code is in force. The TNSEC also directed the district election officers to register poll violation cases.