It was 9.30 a.m. on a searing hot April morning when L. Sundararajan, the CPI(M) candidate from the Tiruvottiyur constituency began his campaign. The previous day’s campaign banners of another party are taken down and moved for his campaign to move smoothly.

Greeting the residents in Periyar Nagar in Tiruvottiyur, Mr. Sundararajan, a State committee member, is contesting in the elections for the first time. “I have been highlighted as a contestant now and it’s been wonderful when I meet the public. They recognise me from the times I had helped them out,” he said.