Chennai/Trichy:DMK chief MK Stalin is facing growing pressure from the party leaders to contest the upcoming Trichy East by-poll to enable his return to the Tamil Nadu assembly.Stalin has indicated that such a proposal was under consideration, though the party has not finalised the plan. “No decision has been taken in this regard. Will let you all know once we take the decision,” Stalin told reporters in Chennai on Friday, even as the party has started surveying the prospects in Trichy East segment.The internal push for Stalin’s electoral bid intensified after Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay recently mocked the DMK’s chief assembly poll defeat in Kolathur constituency. However, a section of senior leaders has cautioned against the move, calling it “unwise.” They wanted Stalin should focus on rebuilding the party by especially when the prospects are uncertain.While six assembly segments are headed for by-polls, Trichy East – vacated by Vijay – is seen as the most favourable seat for DMK, banking on local strongman K N Nehru’s influence. Vijay defeated DMK’s candidate Inigo Irudhayaraj by a margin of 27,416 in the segment.Nehru had recently remarked that Stalin would return to the assembly soon giving credence to the buzz.“We have not started a formal survey, but inputs are being sought from various quarters to analyze the ground situation in Trichy East,” a DMK source said.DMK organizing secretary RS Bharathi added that multiple sitting MLAs are willing to resign to facilitate Stalin’s contest, though the party chief will take the final call. “It is the wish of the cadres and functionaries. We want our leader in the assembly,” said former MLA I Paranthaman.Party sources indicate that former school education minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi was also keen to contest the seat, which was previously held by his late father. A section of DMK men say it was to prevent Anbil from contesting that some leaders were pushing Stalin to contest in Trichy East. “In any case, Thalaivar (Stalin) is a statesman who belongs to a different league, whether he is inside the assembly or not. Pressuring him to contest is uncalled for,” a former MLA said.
