DMK working president M.K. Stalin on Thursday said his party was not unduly excited about the freezing of the ‘two leaves’ symbol of the AIADMK or the fact that candidates of the two AIADMK factions would contest the byelection in Dr. R.K. Nagar on free symbols.
“So far as the DMK is concerned, we don’t interfere in another party’s internal affairs. Even when (AIADMK founder) M.G. Ramachandran was in power, we had won in byelections defeating the party’s candidates who contested on ‘two leaves’ symbol. We had defeated their candidates even when Jayalalithaa was there. So, it is not right to say that we are intimidated of that symbol,” Mr. Stalin told journalists. The DMK candidate would win in the constituency, he added.
Meanwhile, AIADMK (Amma) candidate T.T.V. Dinakaran, accompanied by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and Dairy Development Minister K.T. Rajenthra Bhalaji, hit the campaign trail on an open jeep in R.K. Nagar on Thursday evening. All of them were wearing the party’s ‘hat’ symbol.
Jayalalithaa’s niece and MGR Amma Deepa Peravai founder J. Deepa, who filed her nominations after paying homage at Jayalalithaa’s burial site, claimed that her victory was certain. “That’s why I am contesting here. I am upset that the AIADMK’s name can’t be used, though,” she said.
BJP candidate and music composer Gangaiamaran, who too filed his papers, said the party’s policies would help him win in the constituency.
