Chennai: The state’s already charged poll campaign almost spilled into the skies on Saturday, as rivals AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami and deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin nearly ended up on the same flight to Trichy. The development caused unease among police handling traffic and security, as cadres from both parties had begun assembling at the airport. While EPS boarded as scheduled, Udhayanidhi, who was alerted about his opponent’s plans, quietly changed his own, choosing to fly on chartered aircraft instead.Over the past few days, the two leaders have been trading barbs on the campaign trail, taking their fight to a personal level. On Friday, campaigning at R K Nagar, Udhayanidhi displayed a photograph of EPS touching V K Sasikala’s feet, saying he was showing it on “public demand”, though he added he would avoid repeating it as it “raises EPS’s blood pressure”. EPS has since defended the gesture, saying he has no regrets. Sources close to Udhayanidhi said his Trichy visit had been planned well in advance, with tickets booked as part of a tour covering six constituencies, including Thanjavur, Perambalur and Ariyalur. It was only on Saturday morning that his team learnt EPS was booked on the same flight. DMK sources said the plan was changed to avoid any unwanted confrontation during the flight and to prevent untoward incidents at Trichy airport, where cadres from both sides would have gathered.
