Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa on Sunday constituted a 50-member election committee, including the entire Cabinet to work for her victory in the R.K. Nagar by-election scheduled for June 27.
Apart from party presidium chairman E. Madhusudhanan who hails from the area, the committee comprises former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam and 27 other ministers in Ms.Jayalalithaa’s present Cabinet.
As a sign of things to come in the days ahead, the committee members inaugurated the party office for the by-poll at Tondiarpet on Sunday evening. According to party sources, the bhumi pooja for the local office was conducted around 3 a.m. on Sunday morning.
After inauguration, the AIADMK leaders went around for a while waving to the electorate showing the ‘two-leaves’ symbol, even to those travelling on MTC buses, seeking votes.
Apart from the heads of every wing of the ruling party and Chennai district secretaries, the local strongman Royapuram MLA D. Jayakumar and P. Vetrivel, who quit his MLA post for Ms. Jayalalithaa to contest, all find a place in the committee.
“The mandate given by Amma is clear. It has to be a record margin of victory in the electoral history of Tamil Nadu. We will work hard and achieve it,” says a leader of one of the wings. With most of the Opposition parties staying away from contesting the by-election, the committee members feel that their task will be easier.
Almost the entire Cabinet is expected to shift base to R.K.Nagar for campaigning purpose as the candidate is none other than the Chief Minister, say official sources. With the return of Ms.Jayalalithaa as Chief Minister and the focus was also on governance, their work could double up as the constituency was close to the Secretariat, sources add.
Meanwhile, the DMDK-BJP combine is yet to decide on contesting the by-poll.
