Dayanidhi Maran sweating it out to retain Central Chennai

Former Union Communication Minister and DMK leader Dayanidhi Maran, who stepped down from his post in the wake of allegations of a scam in 2011, is leaving no stone unturned to retain the Central Chennai Parliamentary seat which he won twice consecutively.
Although the Chennai Central seat, with six Assembly segments, has traditionally been a DMK stronghold the moot question now is if the constituency would continue to be so for the Karunanidhi-led party.
Murasoli Maran won the seat thrice in a row before his son Dayanidhi and the party top guns including M Karunanidhi (Chepauk) and M K Stalin (Thousand Lights), have won Assembly seats here consecutively.

Even in the 1991 Assembly elections when the DMK was completely routed in polls following the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, Karunanidhi won from Harbour seat, another Assembly segment in Central Chennai.
In the 2011 Assembly elections, however, Assembly segments including Harbour and Thousand Lights, considered as DMK bastions, went the AIADMK way marking a new electoral phase.
Immediately after the DMK nominated Dayanidhi again for Central Chennai, he hit the campaign trail. Unlike his party colleagues and cadres of other parties in Tamil Nadu who are 'dhothi' clad, he seeks votes in his usual formal wear in an open jeep.

Dayanidhi, who is facing serious allegations including securing 323 ISDN BSNL telephone lines, causing huge loss to the government is, however, putting up a brave front.