Tamil Nadu elections: Valour and vitriol mark end of campaigns

Chief minister M K Stalin concluded his 20-day-long campaign for the Assembly election with a promise—that his first signature after becoming chief minister for the second term would be to launch the scheme to give ₹8,000 coupon to women.

“My first signature after becoming chief minister will be for ‘Illatharasi’ scheme,” Stalin said on the final day of his campaign in his Kolathur constituency. “I will fulfill all my poll promises and I would be coming to you in 2031 too seeking your support for the third term,’’ Stalin said.




The chief minister, who has been campaigning across the state, said he was unable to visit Kolathur over the past few weeks due to the gruelling state tour. “I came to Kolathur on the day of nomination and now I am returning only on the last day.

Usually, I visit the constituency at least once in 10 days but due to election campaigning I haven’t been able to. In my absence, the work I did for the constituency has sought votes for me. Unlike the campaigns in other places, where I had the chance to introduce other candidates, I am introducing myself here in Kolathur,” Stalin said.

Stalin said though he was the chief minister of the entire state, Kolathur had a special place in his heart. “Chennai is a child that I raised with love. In Chennai, Kolathur is my favourite child,” Stalin said.

Stalin who started his campaign from his native Tiruvarur on March 31, met people in tea shops, visited their houses and conducted roadshows besides public meetings attacking the BJP and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami. However, he chose not to attack TVK president Vijay.

His last three days were dedicated to campaigning in Chennai, where he released an exclusive poll manifesto for the city at the party headquarters.

In Chennai, most of his campaigns were roadshows. Former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal joined him in his campaign here. Similarly, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge joined Stalin in Hosur and former Bihar deputy CM Tejaswi Yadav joined Stalin in Mettupalayam.

Unlike previous elections, Stalin and Congress leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi didn’t share a stage.

The protest against the delimitation bill added the much-required fire to his campaign towards the end. The protest, by hoisting black flags and burning copies of delimitation bills, gave DMK the edge over the rest as others, especially the principal opposition party, AIADMK, were silent on the issue.
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