The million dollar question doing rounds is that what AIADMK is planning ahead of Vellore by-polls. Many say they want to stay away from BJP during campaign. The elections to Vellore Lok Sabha polls has been announced. It takes place on 5 August. New Justice Party chief A C Shanmugam, who is the candidate of the ruling AIADMK-led Front, filed his papers recently. He is contesting under the AIADMK's 'Two Leaves' symbol.
Sources close to AIADMK say, 'Since many of us cadres felt that anti-BJP mood in Tamilnadu was reason for poor show by the AIADMK alliance in Lok Sabha polls, we are keen to keep BJP at a distance in Velore during campaign'. Many say it should be seen as direct fight between AIADMK and DMK. DMK President M K Stalin said T M Kathir Anand is the partynominee. Anand is the son of DMK Treasurer Duraimurugan. The election for Vellore seat was earlier scheduled for April 18, but it was countermanded following seizure of large sums of money, allegedly meant for distribution to the voters, from the premises of Kathir Anand and a DMK functionary, by the Income-Tax officials.
The DMK-led front, which comprised Congress, MDMK, CPI, CPI(M), VCK and IUML won 37 of the 38 Lok Sabha seats for which elections were held. AIADMK wants to make sure that BJP is kept at a distance to avoid minority votes going away for their alliance candidates in Vellore.
