Chennai: Campaigning for the by-polls to the four Assembly seats in the State is getting intense. Ottapidaram, Tiruparankundram, Aravakurichi and Sulur would go for polls on 19 May.
Leaders are busy addressing electorates not just through public meetings but also involved in door-to-door canvassing.
Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, Deputy Chief Minister O Pannerselvam, DMK president M K Stalin and AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran are toiling it out in these four constituencies, where campaigning comes to close 17 May.
Palaniswami on Saturday addressing a campaign event in Tirupparankundram constituency, said Stalin was making tall promises ahead of the by-elections as he was fully aware that his party will not be returning to power.
He said, “Only the ruling party can fulfil the promises, not the Opposition party.”
He accused Stalin of misleading the public through blatant lies on the issue of allocation of land for the burial of late Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.
“Instead of talking about issues concerning the public, Stalin is talking about non-allocation of six feet of land for his father,” he said.
Meanwhile addressing voters in Aravakurichi recently, Stalin assured to implement a new free land scheme for the landless poor once the DMK came back to power in Tamilnadu.
The DMK chief said in the new political circumstances, the party was sensitive to the people’s wish for good governance and transparency in administration.
“We already have a list of corruption charges against various Ministers in the present AIADMK government and action will be taken against them once DMK came back to power,” he said.
Dhinakaran has been addressing a series of meetings in these four constituencies, while Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Haasan campaigned for his party candidates.
Speaking at a campaign event, Kamal Haasan said, “There is an urgent need for good governance and throw the corrupt parties out.”
It may may be recalled that Tamilnadu saw voting for Lok Sabha polls in 39 constituencies and by-elections to 18 Assembly constituencies on 18 April.
Repolling in 13 polling booths will be held on 19 May as the presiding officers there forgot to format the EVMs and there were allegations of some people were not allowed to vote, the State Chief Electoral Officer said.