I am very much in Ottapidaram: Dr Krishnasamy

Thoothukudi: Puthiya Tamilagam (PT) founder president, Dr K Krishnasamy, stoutly denied media reports that he refused to campaign for AIADMK candidate in the Ottapidaram reserved constituency that is facing the bypolls on May 19, and reiterated his commitment towards the AIADMK alliance, in which his party is a constituent.

Terming the report published in a section of media that he left Ottapidaram constituency for Coimbatore after picking up a quarrel with the AIADMK ministers working at Ottapidaram as a false report spread by the DMK, Dr Krishnasamy said that on Monday, he went to Thiruparankundram to hold a party cadre meeting and met Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, who was campaigning there.

"I returned to Ottapidaram the same evening, and today I am involved in a joint campaign with the Chief Minister here," clarified Krishnasamy, who again stressed his unfailing support to AIADMK candidates in all the four constituencies - Ottapidaram, Thiruparangundram, Aravakurichi and Sulur.

Adding that he had been working in Ottapidaram since May 1, which is the traditional st-ronghold of Puthiya Tamilagam, Dr Krishnasamy said that so far he had personally visited almost all households in around 100 hamlets there, canvasing for AIADMK candidate, P Mohan. "The welfare measures brought to this constituency, when I was its MLA in the AIADMK alliance from 2011 to 2016 reached out to all sections of the people, and that would be an added advantage to P Mohan over his DMK rival," opined Krishnasamy.

About the DMK and its president MK Stalin, Dr Krishnasamy accused him of doing nothing to ensure job opportunities for youth in the state, when he was the industries minister till 2009.

Dr Krishnaswamy also recalled his demand for special job reservation for Tamil youth even in the private sector, as an MLA in the state assembly in 1997. He said that his demand was brushed aside by the then Chief Minister, M Karunanidhi, who said, "Let's see that later." Ends