TN: DMK to skip second by-poll, AIADMK, DMDK in fray

The stage is set for the second by-poll of the year in Tamil Nadu at Pudukottai on Tuesday where former friends All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam will fight each other, with Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam choosing to skip the contest.

Chiefs of the AIADMK and DMDK, J Jayalalithaa and Vijayakant have wound up their campaign trail for the election, necessitated due to the death of Communist Party of India member of Legislative Assembly S P Muthukumaran in a road accident on April 1.

Kathik Thondaiman of the AIADMK and DMDK's Jahir Hussain are in the fray among 18 others even as other opposition parties, DMK and Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam which had fought the earlier Sankarankoil by-poll, have not fielded their candidates.

Outsiders have been asked to leave the constituency and the Election Commission has banned exit polls from 8 am to 5 pm on the polling day.

The state government has declared a holiday for the constituency to facilitate the polling process.