Campaigning in the Manapparai Assembly constituency of Tiruchirappalli district, DMK alliance partner Manithaneya Makkal Katchi’s sitting MLA Abdul Samad faced protests in several villages, leading to cancellations and disruptions.
When the candidate reached Thenur village in the Marungapuri North Union for canvassing, a section of residents stopped the vehicles and prevented the campaign. They alleged that Abdul Samad was not a local and claimed he had done nothing over the past five years, also referring to an earlier allegation that he had cooked biryani on the Tirupparankundram hill.
Similar opposition was reported in Piranpatti and Valasupatti, where residents surrounded Karur MP Jothimani, who had accompanied the candidate. The protesters argued that no work had been done for five years and told them not to seek votes there, following which the team left without canvassing.
In Vellaiyakoundanpatti, residents staged a sit-in on the road objecting to the division of the Puthanatham village panchayat into two. During the protest, a scuffle broke out between the candidate’s supporters and villagers, according to reports.
