CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam on Thursday entered the campaign for the Dec.21 by-election in RK Nagar constituency. Retaining the seat that fell vacant after the death of chief minister J. Jayalalithaa has become a matter of life and death for the ruling Anna DMK, which is seeing a serious erosion of public support and a division within its ranks.

The division had delayed the candidature of veteren ADMK leader E. Madhusudhanan even as opposition DMK’s Maruthu Ganesh started his campaign vigorously.

Palaniswami inaugurated the party’s election office in the constituency and began his campaign in an open jeep at Harinarayanapuram. He claimed that this constituency has been a fort of the ADMK and people call this is as “Amma’s constituency.” He said all basic problems in RK Nagar were solved by Jayalalithaa who also announced several new schemes for the benefit of the people. “The DMK did not do any good here. Considering all this, people should vote for Madhusudhanan for the betterment of the constituency,” he said. Panneerselvam, whose faction had fielded Madhusudhanan for the cancelled bypoll in RK Nagar in April, said the candidate has been helping the people of the constituency for more than 60 years and his victory in the by-election will ensure that Jayalalithaa’s administration is continued.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has given actor Vishal another chance to prove that his nominations papers were in order. The papers were rejected on Tuesday as two supporters who signed for him retracted. While Vishal insisted the ADMK had threatened him, the returning officer first rejected his papers, then agreed to accept and late on Tuesday night once again rejected them.

Vishal approached Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Lakhoni on Wednesday and presented a petition seeking a recall of the order passed by the returning officer. The Producers Council president claimed that the official had gone out of the hall to seek directions over the phone regarding his nomination papers.

Vishal submitted petitions to the President and the Prime Minister, and vowed legal measures. “Still awaiting democracy to lift its head up again. God save my beloved country from this anarchy,” he tweeted.