Vijay and Stalin hit the campaign trail as Tamil Nadu bypoll battle intensifies
The political contest for the October 6 by-elections in Madurantakam and Dharapuram is entering its final phase, with TVK chief and Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and DMK president MK Stalin scheduled to campaign in the constituencies on Friday.
Vijay is expected to conduct a roadshow in Madurantakam, having already addressed public meetings in both constituencies on earlier occasions.
The campaign is aimed at supporting TVK candidates P Sathyabama and K Maragatham Kumaravel. Both candidates previously represented AIADMK and joined TVK before being selected to contest the bypolls.
Stalin, meanwhile, will begin his campaign in Dharapuram. His roadshow is scheduled to start near the Amaravathi statue before he proceeds to a public meeting on Udumalai Salai.
The DMK leader is expected to travel to Madurantakam on Saturday to campaign for party candidate I Paranthamen.
The DMK has also brought senior leaders into the campaign, including Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin and Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, as the party seeks to strengthen its campaign in both constituencies.
The bypolls were necessitated after AIADMK MLAs P Sathyabama and K Maragatham Kumaravel resigned from the Assembly and subsequently joined TVK. Their decision to contest the bypolls as TVK candidates has given the contests an unusual political dimension. Following the withdrawal of nominations, 49 candidates remain in the fray. Madurantakam has 27 candidates, while Dharapuram has 22.
TVK, DMK, AIADMK, CPI and CPM are among the parties contesting the elections. Polling is scheduled for October 6, while votes will be counted on October 9. Campaigning will end on October 4.