CM Palaniswami to begin Vellore campaign this weekend 

An AIADMK release here on Thursday said Palaniswami would canvass votes for NJP candidate AC Shanmugam, who would be contesting under the AIADMK’s Two Leaves symbol.

He would campaign for three days on July 27, 28 and again on August 2.

On July 27 Palaniswami would address public meetings at Vaniyambadi and Ambur and on July 28 at Keezhvaidhyanarkuppam and Gudiyatham.

On August 2, the Chief Minister would address meetings at Anaicut and Vellore.

The elections were earlier scheduled for April 18, but was rescinded following seizure of cash from the college and godown of Opposition DMK candidate Kathir Anand, who is the son of DMK Treasurer and former minister Duraimurugan.

The DMK has renominated Kathir Anand for the seat and he had already started his campaign. DMK president MK Stalin, who guided the party to win 37 of the 38 Lok Sabha seats, was likely to commence his campaign in the next couple of days.

The elections would witness a three-cornered contest, though the fight would be between the AIADMK and the DMK. The third candidate in fray is Deepalakshmi of Naam Tamizhar Katchi of actor-director Seeman.

Meanwhile, in Vellore North zone IG Nagaraj informed the media on Thursday that a total of 5,557 policemen of various ranks will be pressed into service for the August 5 elections.Interacting with reporters after a meeting with Vellore range DIG N Kamini, SP Pravesh Kumar and ADSP Vijayakumaar regarding the elections, he said police personnel would be drawn from Vellore, Tiruvannamalai and Kancheepuram districts. So far, various team have seized Rs 1.16 crore in cash in the district.

Officials also said that more than 1,350 police personnel including 10 DSPs and 20 inspectors would be pressed into service for the Adi Kirthigai festival.

DMK advocates wing organiser K Sampath handed over a complaint to Vellore Parliament constituency’s general observer and expenditure observer regarding 500 cars used by AIADMK functionaries to attend a meeting on July 23. Talking to reporters on Thursday, Sampath said he had complained that the 500 cars used by AIADMK functionaries had created traffic congestion in Vellore town when they came to participate in a meeting organised by that party. This was a reference to the meeting in which functionaries and Ministers arrived from all over the state for campaigning and were diverted to the Assembly constituencies. Stating that this was contrary to the norms fixed by the Election Commission, he said in the complaint that the expenses incurred for the meeting and the 500 cars should be added to the election expenditure of NDA candidate AC Shanmugam. The petition also demanded that the observers censure Shanmugam on this issue.