Poll Sidelights

Time for MGR

Catchy slogans, colourful posters and `MGR in flesh and blood' provided a perfect backdrop to the whirlwind tour of AIADMK chief Jayalalitha in Theni district. Election time means, it is time to rekindle the memories of MGR. His film songs are an anytime hit with the audience. To pep up the show in Theni, the party unit provided additional colour to the campaign. An amateur actor was dressed up like MGR and put on top of a van to campaign for the AIADMK. The crowds loved it and went after the `make-believe', while patiently waiting for `Amma' to arrive.

Humble beginnings

He could have ended up in the RPF, but `Maaveeran' Napoleon, did not feel like completing his 10-month training at the RPF centre in Tiruchi. He was recruited as a constable in 1989. But he moved on to Kollywood and has come good. Taking that extra step, Napoleon has now entered politics and the is DMK candidate for Villivakkam. He is also a nephew of Food Minister K.N. Nehru. ``We did not realise then that we had a potential actor in our midst'', says an RPF official who knew him those days.

Changing times

Ten years ago, as just another DMK cadre, he sought a ticket to contest from the Varagur Assembly constituency. But he did not succeed. Now, in a curious reversal of fortunes, the DMK offered him - a head of a party - 10 seats (eight in Tamil Nadu and two in Pondicherry). That is DPI leader R. Thirumavalavan. And the other day, DMK chief Karunanidhi took pride in speaking of him as coming from the DMK stable.

Scramble for shawls

Shawls were very much in demand last week at Madurai, particularly at an MDMK rally held to introduce party candidates. Vaiko was to drape them with shawls while presenting them to the audience. Obviously, the organisers ran out of stock and volunteers were sent round to collect some from the front rows. Some were willing, others very reluctant to part with their shawl. Many had brought new ones to honour their leader. Luckily, the exercise stopped mid-way for want of time.

No coins please

Agaram Chittaranjam Das is known at least to electoral officers, if not to his constituents. When he took out a form to contest the Uthiramerur seat, the officials told him clearly not to bring the deposit money in coins. But he did on Monday. The coins were neatly packed and ready. When the officers refused, he quickly arranged to pay up in notes. He is a veteran of many battles now.

Just no room

Mr. Vasu Lakshmanan, Assistant Commissioner (Land Transfer), and Returning Officer for Chepauk Assembly constituency, has a reasonably comfortable room in the second floor of the Ezhilagam complex. That was till Monday, when the Chief Minister came along to file his nomination. Being the last day for filing of nominations and auspicious one at that, a lot many candidates turned up to file the papers. The DMK chief, M. Karunanidhi, submitted his nomination for the Chepauk constituency. It became such a small room in the crowd that the photographers had a tough time getting the leader in their lens. The Chief Minister was also in an obliging mood, though the cops were not in the best of moods to cooperate.

By R. Ilangovan, K.T. Sangmeswaran, Radha Venkatesan R. Krishnamurthy, K. Manikandan and R.K. Radhakrishnan.

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