Campaign and prayers go hand-in-hand in R K Nagar

Chennai: Election campaign and prayers go hand in hand for ruling AIADMK workers in R K Nagar Assembly constituency represented by Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa. Devotees visiting temples are swelling in north Chennai as party workers are inviting the public to participate in morning prayers for the speedy recovery of Jayalalithaa.

On Tuesday, the party arranged for a massive ritual at two temples in north Chennai where over 5,000 women cadres participated by carrying milk pot and party workers from Royapuram and R K Nagar pierced their bodies with hooks. They also carried portraits of CM Jayalalithaa.

Participants of the three-km procession from Nethaji Nagar Murugan temple raised slogans supporting Jayalalithaa and prayed for her health. The rally took about an hour to reach the nearby Senni Amman temple adding to the peak hour traffic.

School-going children were also part of the rally with their cheeks and tongues pierced. “I am not an AIADMK cadre, but for some reason I like Amma (Jayalalithaa) and when my neighbours insisted me to join the rally, I happily participated in the rally and prayed for our chief minister’s health,” said M. Pushpa, a resident of Tondiarpet.

“When you know that a political leader is hospitalised and a section of people is praying, you voluntarily join them with prayers and wishes. More than 2,000 non-party workers joined us for the ritual procession on Monday”, said Perambur MLA and north Chennai party district secretary P. Vettrivel.

In Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur, ward candidates and party functionaries have arranged for the conduct of haven till Thursday.