Villupuram: Speakers blare out noted singer late Nagore Hanifa’s songs as DMK supporters wait for MK Stalin in front of a decorated stage on the municipal ground at Villupuram in northeast Tamil Nadu. The Dravidian party's popular campaign song -- ‘Odi varukirar udayasuriyan’ sung could be heard at the venue. It was sung decades ago by Hanifa who was also a close friend of M Karunanidhi, party's late patriarch and Stalin's father.
Today singers mimic Hanifa's unique voice for new campaign songs which assert DMK's claim that the AIADMK government of Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami is corrupt.
Many ‘men in white’ join local Tamils in the sweltering heat. An announcement over the speakers urged people not to carry flags. Those who have one were asked to drop it; else Election Commission will add Rs 150 to poll expenses for each party flag.
As speeches by leaders of DMK's political allies raged on, Stalin’s convoy declared its entry with incessant honking. An AC van pulled up among the many cars. Speech stopped and a loud song started playing over the speakers.
‘Ilaya thalaivar dalapati vazhge!’ chants the crowd. Stalin walks up to the stage flanked by flags in style. He is dressed in DMK’s trademark red and black dhoti. The top two button holes of slim-fit shirt are open, and collars raised.
‘En uyirinum uyirana anpu udanpirappukale’, he begins with Kalaignar’s line. ‘Kalaignar is very much alive. His son Stalin is here for your respect. Not only me, you too are Kalaignar’s kids’. He reads from notes, but makes it look like extempore. Stalin has won the hearts of party leaders and followers after father’s death.
Those on the ground brave heat and thirst. But they look at each other in awe as Stalin has not broken a sweat – the stage is full of coolers.
He promises to raise base price of paddy and sugarcane, bring new railway lines and write off farm loans. And sums it up with the punch line – ‘Sonnath seiven, seitath solven’.
As Stalin left after a 45-minute speech in AC van, people dispersed in sweat, as if from a sauna.
