Chennai,Sept 30
Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay will seek votes for Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam candidate Sathyabama at a public meeting in Dharapuram on Wednesday, as campaigning intensifies for the October 6 Assembly bypoll.
Sathyabama’s resignation after winning the seat on an AIADMK ticket led to the contest in the reserved constituency in Tiruppur district. She is among 22 candidates in the fray. With polling six days away, the major parties are stepping up their campaigns.
TVK has prepared a 54-acre site at Maruthi Nagar in Kondarasampalayam, on the Dharapuram–Udumalpet road, for Vijay’s meeting. A bus stationed near the venue will serve as the platform for his address. Organisers have arranged seating for ministers, party officials, volunteers and the public, along with more than 10 LED screens. QR-coded entry passes are being issued to about 10,000 attendees.
Vijay is scheduled to fly from Chennai to Coimbatore, arriving around 1 p.m., before travelling by car to the meeting ground. He is expected to reach the venue at about 3 p.m. After the rally, he will return to Coimbatore and fly to Chennai.
Police have introduced traffic diversions and restricted heavy vehicles from entering Dharapuram. Barricades have been placed at key points. Speed breakers at roughly 50 locations along the four-lane Dharapuram–Palladam road are being removed ahead of the visit, including those near schools, colleges and rural bus stops.
More than 3,000 police personnel from Tiruppur, Coimbatore, the Nilgiris and Erode have been assigned to security duty. Coimbatore West Zone Inspector General Ramya Bharathi is overseeing the deployment. DIG Saminathan inspected the arrangements on Tuesday.
The meeting gives Vijay an opportunity to appeal directly to voters as Sathyabama seeks to retain the seat under the TVK banner.
