Off the cuff | Madam on the move

Vijay’s first message after TVK’s victory was simple: don’t let power go to your head and behave as though you own the place. But a video doing the rounds suggests that the memo may have gone missing somewhere. Traffic was halted for a grand roadside welcome to a minister’s wife, giving “people-first politics” a new meaning: the people had to wait while the VIP arrived. Even TVK supporters were unimpressed, with many urging Vijay to step in. The opposition, meanwhile, pointed out that even chief ministers’ wives did not enjoy such welcomes under earlier regimes. As for the commuters, it was perhaps: “Maatram... people commute problem... repeat-u!”

Former AIADMK Minister SP Velumani did not attend the party’s district secretaries’ meeting held in Chennai on Sunday in his capacity as a senior functionary of the party. Instead, he attended the inauguration of a private construction company’s office in Erode. Following the event, SP Velumani prepared to leave. At that time, reporters questioned him about his boycott of the meeting. But without offering any reply, he walked towards the car with a smile. As reporters continued to press him, Velumani’s Ambi mode suddenly gave way to Anniyan. “Don’t force me to give a press meet. I will meet the press if I want,” he said firmly. Just like that, the matrix glitched. Ambi was back. A smile broke across Velumani’s face as he walked back to his car.

With TVK tickets for the upcoming local body elections expected to be the hottest commodity around, party workers seem to have concluded that the best way to catch a minister’s eye is to ensure there is no one standing between them. At the inauguration of a new building at Pollachi GH on Saturday, party workers filled the hospital premises, pushing senior officials and doctors into corners. There was so much confusion that party workers struggled to tell officials from one another, while the police escaped with the advantage of wearing a uniform. Only when entry into the new block was restricted did officials finally get a chance to meet the ministers.