Chennai, Oct 3:
The campaign for the by-elections to the Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly constituencies will enter its final day on Saturday, with major political parties intensifying their efforts to mobilise voters through roadshows, public meetings and door-to-door campaigns.
The campaign will conclude at 6 pm on Saturday, 36 hours before polling begins, after which the constituencies will enter the mandatory 48-hour silence period.
In Madurantakam, the main candidates are TVK’s K Maragatham Kumaravel, DMK’s I Paranthamen and AIADMK’s K Kanitha Sampath. In Dharapuram, the key candidates are TVK’s P Sathyabama, DMK’s S Suganya and AIADMK’s K Bhanumathi.
Chief Minister and TVK president C Joseph Vijay camped in Madurantakam on Friday and conducted a roadshow in support of Maragatham Kumaravel. Before the roadshow, Vijay addressed a public meeting in the constituency as part of the campaign. He is also scheduled to conduct a roadshow in Dharapuram in support of Sathyabama.
The entire State Cabinet has been involved in the bypoll campaign, with ministers campaigning for the party candidates in the two constituencies. The ruling party has stepped up its campaign as polling day approaches, with public meetings and other outreach programmes being held to seek votes.
On the Opposition side, the DMK and AIADMK have also intensified their campaigns in both constituencies. DMK Youth Wing secretary Udhayanidhi Stalin is scheduled to campaign in Dharapuram on Saturday, while party Deputy General Secretary Kanimozhi Karunanidhi is campaigning for the party candidates in both constituencies.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami has also been making frequent visits to the two constituencies and campaigning for his party’s candidates. Leaders of the Left parties and Naam Tamilar Katchi are also campaigning in the constituencies in support of their respective candidates.
With only a short period left before the campaign deadline, parties are focusing on direct voter contact, public meetings and roadshows to consolidate their support.
All campaign activities will have to end by 6 pm on Saturday, following which the 48-hour silence period will come into force ahead of polling.