Campaign ends today; top leaders descend on Erode

COIMBATORE: With the month-long intensified campaign for Erode (East) bypoll drawing to an end on Saturday evening, top leaders of both fronts have descended on the constituency. While Chief Minister MK Stalin, who has been micromanaging the campaign, will finally hit the roads on Saturday, the Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami gave a last-minute push on Friday to his candidate’s fortunes.

According to a schedule released by the DMK here, CM Stalin will reach Erode on Friday night and stay at a private guest house and kickstart his campaign right from the morning at 9 am at Sampath Nagar. Stalin’s campaign for Congress candidate EVKS Elangovan is being keenly watched given the infighting in AIADMK over leadership issue.

EPS, having won the legal battle with OPS in the Supreme Court, unleashed a no-holds-barred vitriolic attack on CM Stalin daring him for a public debate on DMK and AIADMK regimes in the State. “Let people judge who is best. I also dare CM to say what the DMK has done for this constituency. There is nothing, but Stalin claims himself to be a super CM,” he said.

Alleging that DMK is murdering democracy, EPS said voters are being kept captive because it does not trust them. “In the history of TN elections, no such thing has ever happened. It is a formula by Electricity Minister Senthil Balaji. Despite raising complaints with the Election Commission, no action has been taken so far,” he said, adding DMK is a corporate company with its interests limited to the growth of only one family.

Though the bypoll has turned out to be a direct fight between the DMK and AIADMK, the Naam Tamilar Katchi and DMDK are also putting up a brave show against their mighty opponents. The BJP has also put in its might with the party state chief Annamalai himself touring the constituency.

Complaints on 725 violations so far

More than 725 complaints of poll violations have reached the Election department so far. While police have registered 75 cases, flying squads of the election department have taken note of another 41 cases. “Two cases were filed on distribution of pressure cookers to voters. When the sleuths of the flying squad made an on the spot inquiry, the public claimed to have purchased the pressure cookers from their own pockets,” Election Returning Officer K Sivakumar told media on Friday. Stating that the temporary working offices set up by political parties should be vacated by Saturday 6 pm, he said all arrangements have been taken to ensure a free and fair polling. “Works are under way to send required poll materials to polling centres in vehicles fixed with GPS. Action will be taken if a complaint is made with evidence on distribution of cash and gifts to voters. The staff on poll duty has received enough training,” he said.