DMK president M.Karunanidhi’s visit to Anna Arivalayam, the party headquarters at Teynampet in Chennai, on Friday night has enthused the rank and file of the party that is facing a crucial by-poll in RK Nagar constituency necessitated by the death of AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa.

The ailing wheel chair-bound leader was taken to Anna Arivalayam at about 9 pm. His visit to the party headquarters, after almost a year since he fell ill last December, sprang a surprise to the cadre.

Mr.Karunanidhi spent 20 minutes in the office and was even shown signing the attendance register. His face was bright and he was seen smiling and waving, which made senior DMK leader Durai Murugan overwhelmed. Working president M.K.Stalin, former union minister A.Raja and Karunanidhi’s daughter Selvi accompanied him.

“Thalaivar becomes very happy if he is in the presence of people. His visit to Arivalayam after a year is definitely a morale booster to the cadre. This itself is enough for them to work enthusiastically for RK Nagar by-poll victory,” T.K.S.Elangovan, Rajya Sabha MP and party spokesperson, told The Covai Post, citing the incident when the DMK patriarch spoke a couple of words and gestured CPI veteran R.Nallakannu to spend some more time with him when he called on him.

According to him, Mr.Karunanidhi has always been signing, but only that his sign is a little shaky these days because of old age. “It is a psychological factor that Thalaivar became thrilled upon his visit to Arivalayam and so were the cadre,” the MP said.

Denying that there is slackness on the DMK side in electoral work at RK Nagar, he said the party candidate Marudhu Ganesh has been going door to door for canvassing. “The other camps (TTV Dinakaran and the AIADMK headed by EPS and OPS) are creating a flutter, but we are toiling for victory silently,”he added.

Another DMK leader said there is no possibility of Mr.Karunanidhi showing up in RK Nagar for campaign. “He sticks to his routine. As usual, he wakes up early in the morning after which he is given physiotherapy. By 9 am, he gets ready and sits in the chair reading newspapers and watching TV till 1 pm. Though his body parameters are absolutely normal, he will not be taken to RK Nagar. His health is improving, but if he appears in public, cadre and people will throng the place to meet him, which can lead to infection,”said the DMK leader.