Guessing game is on as mandate day dawns

The silence that descended on the streets of Coimbatore as the election campaign ground to a halt appeared to speak louder than words. For, the day of reckoning was upon the anxious players who were in no mood to relax even after a month of hectic campaigning in the heat and dust.
Many politicians chose to stay indoors on Sunday, the eve of the election.Most of the candidates, especially from the DMK and the AIADMK who are locking horns in seven out of 10 constituencies in Coimbatore district, were involved in last-minute meetings to discuss strategies and measures to prevent electoral malpractices by rival parties.
There were tense moments for some candidates like the BJP's Vanathi Srinivasan and the MDMK's T R Shanmugasundaram in Mettupalayam. While Vanathi's car was attacked in the city, a large number of AIADMK men barged into the latter's house at Karamadai, accusing him of distributing cash to voters.
"I had prolonged meetings with partymen and booth committee members throughout the day. This is not the time to relax," said Singanallur DMK candidate N Karthik. The day started with functionaries from alliance parties calling on him at his residence. He then visited prominent people in his segment. "They were courtesy calls and not for seeking votes, as they are known to me from childhood," he said.
Other DMK candidates went into a huddle with the party rank and file, giving them instructions to be on vigil all through the night as well as on Monday till the polling ended. They were advised to keep a watch on rivals who are suspected to be bribing voters. Congress candidate for Coimbatore South Mayura Jayakumar had closed door meetings with workers of its ally, the DMK.
AIADMK urban district secretary and Coimbatore North candidate P R G Arunkumar also held a series of meeting with booth agents.
Only a very few took a break from the routine. Kavundampalayam constituency's AIADMK candidate V C Arukutty was one among few who stayed indoors. "I spent the whole day in my house," he said. "I have done enough and more to ensure my victory. So I chose not to go anywhere," he said. And how did he spend time at the house? "My god is 'Amma' (chief minister J Jayalalithaa). So I worshipped her portrait in my house," Arukutty said.
DMK's Coimbatore South candidate Meena Logu began her day earlier than usual. "I visited Marudhamalai temple at 5.30 am and performed a special pooja," she said. She then visited the church at Gandhimanagar and offered prayers there too. "I called on some of key people in my constituency then," she said.
But the day was not as smooth as Meena Logu's for some candidates. BJP's Vanathi Srinivasan had to suffer tense moments when a group of AIADMK men besieged her car in the morning; she had to answer incessant calls from leaders who enquired about the incident. In the evening, she visited the hospital to call on BJP workers who were allegedly attacked during the incident.
At Mettupalayam, a large number of AIADMK men barged into MDMK candidate T R Shanmugasundaram's house in the afternoon. They started raising slogans and attacked his car. Though police came to the spot, they were outnumbered by the AIADMK men who demanded that they search the house. They claimed the MDMK candidate had stocked cash for giving away to voters. However, the police pacified them and got them to disperse.
Though there was no formal campaigning, both leaders and cadres utilised the final moments to ensure there were no loose ends and their month and more of hard work don't go in vain.