DMK breaks a sweat in Vikravandi

WHEN the ECI announced the Vikravandi by-election on June 10, not many had reservations about the final verdict.

- KRITHIKA SRINIVASAN

Riding pillion on a 40 out of 40 victory in the Lok Sabha polls just a week ago, the DMK was entering a fray that habitually favoured the ruling party. The principal opposition party even decided to boycott the election. The deal was done and dusted. But, as they say, a week is a long time in politics.

With just two days left for the electorate to reach booths, the DMK arguably finds itself on the backfoot owing to the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy that claimed 65 lives. Even the AIADMK might be regretting its decision to sit it out. The regret might hit home hard since one of the party's strongmen, C Ve Shanmugam, hails from the district, which was once a bastion of the party.

On Friday, Chief Minister MK Stalin released a video appealing to the voters to support the DMK. When the whole state thought that the CM would paint the town red as is usually the case with ruling parties during bypoll campaigns, Stalin had to make do with a measly four-minute video. Sources said he decided not to visit Vikravandi for campaigning fearing questions as to why he couldn't find time to visit nearby Kallakurichi district's Karunapuram, where the funeral dust has not yet settled in almost every street.