Chennai: It’s action all the way at Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) as jubilant party cadres want their leader Kamal Haasan to field a candidate for Tiruvarur by-election.
The by-poll for Tiruvarur was necessitated by the death of former chief minister M Karunanidhi 7 August last year. The Election Commission of India Friday announced by-poll for Tiruvarur Assembly constituency 28 January. The counting of votes is scheduled for 31 January.
Sources in MNM camp told News Today, “The by-election has come at the right time. With just a few months to go for the Lok Sabha polls, we want our leader to contest the elections. Or he should at least field a candidate. We are confident that we can win sizeable number of votes. It would give a boost for us to work tirelessly in the general elections.”
Recalling 1973 by-poll for Dindigul in which AIADMK’s nominee Maya Thevar won the elections, they say, “We will try to repeat the act in Tiruvarur. We are optimistic that if Kamal Haasan camps in Tiruvarur and campaigns vigorously, we can crate an impact.”
With many political parties still sitting on the fence as far as forming alliances for the Lok Sabha elections are concerned, MNM leaders feel a good show in the Tiruvarur by-poll would mean other political parties would consider MNM a serious contender. “We will be in their scheme of things.”
However, everything depends on what Kamal Haasan decides. We will inform our wish to him as he returns from abroad today, they add.
What is seen as a three-cornered contest among the AIADMK, DMK and AMMK, may see twists and turns in case MNM jumps into the fray. Tiruvarur was one of the affected districts in the recent Gaja cyclone and Kamal visited the area and met the victims, it may be recalled.