Hectic campaign in Tuticorin

With just a few days left for the first phase of local body elections, campaigning has reached its crescendo in the district.

The candidates in the fray, belonging to various political parties as well as independents, were resorting to door-to-door campaigns rather than holding large public meetings to impress the 11, 08,210 electors.

According to experts, personal level interactions with the electors could make a gigantic difference between victory and defeat in the civic polls.

Though it would be mostly a ding-dong battle on the cards between the candidates belonging to the constituents of Democratic Progressive Alliance against the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam combine, the presence of Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) was certain to make the tussle more interesting.

The decision of DMDK to field candidates in 80 per cent of the total 603 seats available in the elections to the post of panchayat union ward members, district panchayat ward members, town panchayat ward members and municipal councillors, could throw a challenge to the major alliances.For the AIADMK-led Democratic People's Alliance and the DMK-led democratic Progressive Alliance, dissidents who are contesting as independents too could be a headache, besides the opposition from DMDK candidates.

Meanwhile, rumours were doing rounds in the district about the differences between the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Congress, which could prove costly for the DPA.

However, K Kangaraj, District Secretary, CPI (M), denied any differences between the cadres of these two parties.

Experts feel that the winners would be the ones who would succeed in convincing the electors on how they are going to overcome the lacunae on the infrastructure front and improve basic amenities such as sanitation and drinking water supply.

Source: The Hindu