Amidst widespread fervour, former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam on Monday drove around Nagooran Thottam in R.K. Nagar in his campaign vehicle urging people in the area to vote for E. Madhusudhanan, his faction’s candidate in the bypoll on April 12.
Accompanied by senior leaders of the AIADMK such as C. Ponnaiyan, P.H. Pandian, ‘Ma Foi’ K. Pandiarajan and Member of Parliament Vanaroja, Panneerselvam’s campaign never missed a chance to underline that this faction would find out the truth about Jayalalithaa’s death and Sasikala’s family involvement.
As his campaign vehicle moved through lanes so small that the driver struggled to turn, Panneerselvam was stopped in his tracks for the customary ‘aarthi’ and listened to demands from the people. At one point, Panneerselvam had to oblige people’s insistence that they get down from the vehicle and walk through smaller streets. He was also showered with flower petals in several places.
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Speaking at a scheduled stop at Tiruvottiyur High Road, he said that Sasikala’s faction was fielding a candidate who was kept out of the party by former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. “While Jayalalithaa kicked out Sasikala and her family in 2011, she had asked T.T.V. Dinakaran to stay away from the party in 2007 itself. Until her death, she did not let him in. Such a person is now contesting against E. Madhusudhanan who has been in the party for such a long time,” said Panneerselvam.
He expressed confidence that people will reject the idea that party and government should be controlled by a single person. Much of the campaign focussed on Sasikala faction’s ability to distribute money to the voters and influence the outcome. “Take the money and betray them. That’s the lesson you can teach them,” said the person who was speaking on the loudspeaker. Madhusudhanan also said that it was time to expel Sasikala and her family members from the party.