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Chennai, May 6 - Campaigning for Monday's elections to Tamil Nadu's 234-member assembly ended Saturday with more promises from the AIADMK and DMK, even as the Election Commission pulled up the warring Dravidian parties for violating model code of conduct.
On the last day of campaigning, DMK chief M. Karunanidhi campaigned in Royapuram, Harbour, T Nagar and several other constituencies here, beginning as early as 8.30 a.m.
The DMK patriarch promised a large fishing harbour in Royapuram and sympathetic consideration of the needs of the fishing community, such as an increase in the quota of subsidised diesel and withdrawal of sales tax on fibreglass boats.
He ended his campaign at Chepauk, his own constituency.
Karunanidhi repeatedly referred in his speeches to the media prediction of an overwhelming victory for the DMK-led Democratic Progressive Alliance.
AIADMK chief and Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha too chose Chennai to do the last lap of campaigning, promising computers to every class XII student excelling in studies.
She also promised to remove set-top boxes and conditional access from the state so that television viewers in the state could get to see all channels, like those in the neighbouring states.
Jayalalitha had begun campaigning as early as March 31 and has covered the entire state.
The AIADMK campaign had the support of MDMK's Vaiko and Dalit leader T. Thirumavalavan.
Karunanidhi addressed election meetings from mid April, while the Congress began campaigning only 10 days ago.
For the DMK-led camp, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Mammohan Singh were the star campaigners.
BJP leaders L.K. Advani and Sushma Swaraj and Communist leaders Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechury too campaigned for their respective parties.
As many as 198 companies of paramilitary forces have been posted in Tamil Nadu for the polls, Chief Electoral Officer Naresh Gupta said Saturday.
He told reporters here that 3,300 booths had been identified as 'sensitive'.
The Election Commission has issued notice to Jaya TV for telecasting some video footage without prior permission of the committee constituted by it, he said.
The poll panel has also issued notices to the AIADMK and the DMK for allegedly using more vehicles than allowed during campaigning.
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