Bigwigs slug it out in Athoor

It’s a contest between evenly-matched opponents in Athoor in Dindigul district, where AIADMK minister Natham R Viswanathan and former minister and sitting DMK MLA I Periyasamy are squaring off.

Periyasamy, who kicked off his poll campaign in Athoor on Wednesday, is considered more approachable and is known for the work he’d done in the constituency in the last five years. It’s his track record that sees him back in the contest.

The odds, however, observers say, seem to be stacked against AIADMK as voters say they hold Viswanathan, who is power minister, responsible for the higher electricity tariffs and frequent power cuts in this area with many weavers. Viswanathan began his campaign a few days ago.