CHENNAI : With just a week left for the election day, candidates contesting the Chennai Corporation Council elections intensified their campaign, but only in selected pockets. Most of them took up door-to-door campaigning in slums and government housing colonies. The election campaign for the local body polls has been a low-key affair so far, even with more than 1,300 candidates in the fray for 155 council wards.

There have been few posters and banners. Some candidates have used autorickshaws with microphones blaring songs and a few others musical bands to attract attention.

But by and large the city shows little signs of poll fever.

The stakes are huge for both the DMK and the AIADMK-led alliances. For the DMK, it is a litmus test of the leadership of the party's deputy general secretary and Local Administration Minister M.K. Stalin.

M. Subramanian, DMK's candidate for Ekkatuthangal division (no. 140), said the party cadre were in an upbeat mood. "The State Government has already fulfilled a majority of the Assembly election promises. In Kotturpuram alone, the Government has distributed more than 2,100 colour televisions for economically backward families. The voters have realised that it is best to elect the DMK-led alliance candidates to ensure a smooth implementation of projects." But at the same, the DMK is not taking it easy. The AIADMK-led alliance had won 7 of the 14 Assembly constituencies in the State elections in May. The DMK has also given a huge share of seats to key allies - 38 to the Congress and 21 to the PMK, which has had no representative in the Chennai Corporation council so far. The AIADMK-alliance candidates are trying to cash in on the goodwill they received in Chennai in the Assembly elections.

They are focusing primarily on the achievements of the previous State Government and specifically the projects implemented for Chennai.

R.K. Nagar MLA P.K .Sekar Babu pointed out that the city's residents had benefited immensely from the New Veeranam (water supply) Scheme and that it was one of the key reasons for the victory in Assembly elections.

Both the DMK and the AIADMK have also been blaming each other for the spread of chikungunya. The DMK is blaming the previous AIADMK government for not steps to control the mosquito menace, while AIADMK is pointing the finger at the present government for not controlling the outbreak.

Interestingly, neither the DMK nor the AIADMK has retained a majority of its candidates from the previous Corporation council as contestants. Only 10 DMK councillors are re-contesting while a majority of the seats have been given to the party's youth wing. The AIADMK has allowed 20 councillors to re-contest.

Dark horse in the race

The Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam is the only party to field candidates in all 155 divisions. It has fielded known candidates in a few wards - including former BJP floor leader in Corporation council P.S.S. Dhanushkodi and former independent councillor Syed Masood. It had won substantial number of votes in the Assembly polls in May in several city constituencies and it remains to be seen if it could win a few seats to the Corporation council.

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