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Jaya
overshadows rival bigwigs, blazes through Coimbatore
S. Gurucharan
Coimbatore,
May 5: AIADMK chief J. Jayalalitha’s three-day whirlwind
campaign to the district has paid off. Her tour has not only succeeded
in adding the much-needed spark to the lacklustre campaign so far
but also turned the tide in favour of her party.
Other political heavyweights such as Vaiko of the MDMK and Karunanidhi
of the DMK also visited the district, but it was Jayalalitha, who
covered nearly every hamlet of rural areas and earned much goodwill
among voters for the way she handled partymen denied tickets.
Her appeal to
supporters to work to ensure the victory of the candidates also
seemed to have worked wonders, with party cadres leaving no stone
unturned to ensure the victory of the party candidates.
Wherever Jayalalitha addressed rallies, womenfolk turned up in large
numbers, vouching for her popularity among the fairer sex. In sharp
contrast, Karunanidhi toured the district only for one day and that
too he confined himself to certain chosen pockets. This reportedly
created some discontent among rank and file of the party.
Of the 14 Assembly constituencies, AIADMK has fielded its candidates
in nine segments — Perur, Pollachi, Kinathukadavu, Avinashi,
Tirupur, Pongalur, Palladam, Mettupalayam and Udumalaipettai. Its
ally TMC has been allotted three seats, Coimbatore East, Valparai
and Thondamuthur while Congress candidate Maheswari is contesting
from Coimbatore West Assembly segment.
AIADMK candidates are engaged in vigorous campaigning in rural areas,
where the farmers are agitated over the government’s indifference
to the enormous damage caused to coconut crop. They have apparently
decided to vote against the DMK in the polls. Even the Tamil Nadu
Farmers
Association has decided to extend its support to the AIADMK-front
which has accepted its demands. There will be a direct contest in
nine segments where the DMK candidates are pitted against their
AIADMK counterparts.
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