NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu chief minister and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) founder C Joseph Vijay stopped at a tea shop during his roadshow in Madurantakam on Friday, interacted with people and had tea with them, as he campaigned for his party’s candidate ahead of the October 6 bypoll.A video shared by news agency PTI showed Vijay stepping out of his campaign vehicle and stopping at the tea shop. He was seen interacting with people gathered there and having tea with them.

The chief minister was in Madurantakam to seek votes for TVK nominee Maragatham Kumaravel, who is contesting the bypoll to the Assembly constituency. Vijay’s campaign also saw him drive a tractor through agricultural fields during his visit to a village near the town.

Vijay drives tractor during campaign

Vijay’s motorcade came to a halt near a village when he spotted a farmer operating a tractor by the roadside. The chief minister, dressed in a white shirt and dhoti, got down from his campaign vehicle and walked towards the fields to speak to the farmer, who welcomed him.Vijay then took the driver’s seat and drove the tractor across the slushy fields for a few minutes. He later brought it out onto the main road, where people waiting nearby greeted him.

Vijay is known for driving vehicles at official events. His decision to drive a tractor came amid his campaign for the October 6 bypolls.

Vijay covers over 30 villages in roadshow

The TVK chief held a roadshow across Madurantakam, covering more than 30 villages and a cluster of neighbourhoods in the Assembly constituency, around 100 km from Chennai.

People gathered outside their homes and along roads in villages and semi-urban neighbourhoods to catch a glimpse of Vijay.

He waved at them, greeted them with folded hands and sought votes for the party.TVK workers also organised cultural programmes and dance performances at town squares for people waiting to see the chief minister.

Bypolls in Madurantakam, Dharapuram on October 6

The bypolls in Madurantakam and Dharapuram were necessitated after legislators Maragatham Kumaravel and P Sathyabama resigned from their Assembly seats and quit the AIADMK. Both subsequently joined the ruling TVK and have been renominated from their respective constituencies.Opposition parties have accused the ruling party of horse-trading, making it a key issue in the bypoll campaign.Polling for both constituencies will be held on October 6.