Premalatha to start campaign on Mar 27

With DMDK chief Vijayakant currently keeping low due to ill-health, his wife and party treasurer Premalatha is set to embark on a 21-day state-wide campaign canvassing support for the candidates of the AIADMK-led alliance from Tirupur on March 27.

Though she had actively campaigned for her party candidates in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and 2016 Assembly polls, this is the first time she would be leading the campaign for her party in the absence of Vijayakant.

According to a party statement, Premalatha would be touring the State till April 16. The DMDK, which is part of the AIADMK-led alliance, would be contesting in four LS seats. While Premalatha’s brother and party deputy general secretary LK Sudhish would be contesting from Kallakurichi, R Azhagarsamy (Virudhunagar), R Mohanraj (North Chennai) and V Ilangovan (Tiruchy) are the other candidates put up by the party.

When contacted, a senior DMDK leader said that nobody in the party could replace Vijayakant’s charismatic personality. However, he reposed faith in Premalatha’s ability.

“She has been an active campaigner for the party in the past several elections, but this time around she would be leading the party’s campaign. She is a good orator and we hope that she would be able to revive the party in the crucial LS polls,” the leader said, adding that the party must win at least one or two seats to remain relevant in the political field.

A good performance at the ballot is crucial for the DMDK, as it has been witnessing a steady decline in its vote share since 2011, when it was part of the AIADMK alliance for the Assembly polls. After getting a vote share of 8.4 per cent and 10.3 per cent in the 2006 State polls and the 2009 LS polls respectively, the DMDK’s fortune sank in 2014 general elections, when the party polled 5.13 per cent votes.

It fared much worse in the subsequent 2016 Assembly polls as it failed in all 104 seats and garnered just 2.32 per cent votes.