With campaigning for the first phase of the Lok Sabha election set to end on Wednesday, political parties and candidates in the Tiruchi Lok Sabha constituency have switched gears to reach out to voters in all possible ways.
There are 35 candidates in the fray for the Tiruchi Lok Sabha constituency that consists of Tiruchi (East), Tiruchi (West), Srirangam, Pudukottai, and Gandharvakottai Assembly segments. While Durai Vaiko, principal secretary of the MDMK, which is part of the INDIA bloc, is taking on P. Karuppaiah of the AIADMK, the AMMK, which is part of the National Democratic Alliance, has fielded P. Senthilnathan, and N. Rajesh is the Naam Tamzhilar Katchi nominee.
Mr. Durai Vaiko, Mr. Karuppaiah and others, shortly after the nomination by their respective parties, met the influential and important leaders in Tiruchi, Srirangam, and Pudukotttai and sought their support. The candidates subsequently charted out tour programmes and began visiting areas after areas and villages after villages to attract voters.
Chief Minister M.k. Stalin, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami and BJP president J.P. Nadda campaigned for their respective alliance candidates.
While Mr. Durai Vaiko is campaigning along with Minister for Municipal Administration K.N. Nehru and Minister for School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, Mr. Karuppaiah is reaching out to voters with the company of former Ministers C. Vijayabaskar, C. Valarmathi and M. Paranjothi and former MP P. Kumar.
According to sources, though the candidates are working overtime to cover the areas, it is said that there were many areas where they could not visit due to paucity of time. However, they taxis and autorickshaws to distribute pamphlets to the left out areas. With just a few hours left for the deadline, the political parties have been organising two-wheeler rallies. The AIADMK nominee took part in a roadshow in various areas, including Gandhi Market, East Boulevard Road, and West Boulevard Road in Tiruchi.
They took out a roadshow in Pudukottai on Tuesday. Mr. Durai Vaiko undertook a whirlwind campaign in Gandarvakottai and Pudukottai on Tuesday.
