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Candidates
queue up for Jaya ‘darshan’
Express News
Service
Madurai,
April 18: AIADMK general secretary J. Jayalalitha has instructed
her candidates, district secretaries and functionaries in the southern
pockets, including Pondicherry, to launch poll campaign in a ‘‘simple
but effective’’ manner. Some woman candidates informed
that they have been asked to launch door-to-door campaign in pockets
considered weak for the party.
The AIADMK chief,
who arrived at the city on Monday night with her friend Sasikala
from Krishnagiri, was received with poornakumbam in the presence
of party functionaries, including treasurer Dindigul Srinivasan
and MP T.T.V. Dinakaran.
On Tuesday,
the hotel complex buzzed with activity and almost every candidate
queued up since early morning to get blessings from Amma. The candidates
revealed that they were given token numbers and each took their
turns for an audience with ‘Amma’ in that order.
By late noon,
the hotel wore a deserted look and security personnel packed off
onlookers on specific instructions from the party bigwigs. Some
mediapersons were literally chased away.
In a departure
from past practice, the road leading to Hotel Madurai Ashok, where
Jayalalitha was putting up since Monday night, wore a different
look. Giant cut-outs and mega posters were conspicuous by their
absence.
Interestingly, cadres of the AIADMK allies — the Congress,
the TMC, the PMK and the Communists — were not seen anywhere
near the hotel. ‘‘We were specifically requested not to
come to the hotel,’’ claimed one Communist Party functionary.
The local Congress leaders were in no mood to comment.
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