OPS, EPS invoke Jaya name to win over electorate

Invoking J Jayalalithaa, AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam and joint coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday made a fervent appeal to the electorate of RK Nagar Assembly constituency to ensure party nominee E Madhusudhanan’s victory in Thursday’s election for “continuation of good work” initiated by the late chief minister.

In an appeal to the people through a statement that was released to the media by the AIADMK headquarters , the two leaders, who now jointly head the ruling party, asked the electorate to choose Madhusudhanan, harping on his “son of the soil” stature and his close association with party’s founder MG Ramachandran and later with J Jayalalithaa.

The statement was issued by the duo after dust settled over the fortnightlong high- voltage campaign in the by- poll, necessitated due to the death of Jayalalithaa in December 2016. The campaign saw the AIADMK, DMK and rebel TTV Dhinakaran, who has entered the fray as an independent nominee, trade charges of distribution of money for voters at each other.

The leaders also stressed on the fact that their candidate was fighting on Two Leaves, the symbol chosen for the AIADMK by MGR and retrieved by Jayalalithaa after it was frozen by the Election Commission in 1988, implying that they were the “original party.” Interestingly, the statement did not have any reference to rebel Dhinakaran. RK Nagar goes to polls on Thursday and counting of votes is scheduled to take place on Sunday. The results would chart the future course of action for the ruling AIADMK and Dhinakaran as it is being seen as the first acid test for the EPS- OPS duo after Jayalalithaa’s death.

“Since the bypolls are held due to the demise of Amma... it is imperative for the people to award a huge victory for the Two Leaves symbol,” Panneerselvam and Palaniswami said.