Coimbatore:
If Paul the Octopus doesn't want to live in third-best football country Germany, he might consider Tamil Nadu.
Not ordinarily known for football fever, the state's politicians have given the oracle octopus pride of place in their polemics.
Witness the scathing observation of a DMK spokesperson on Opposition leader Jayalalithaa predicting Tamil Nadu will pick a new party to lead it. "She's not Paul the Octopus." Snort implied.
And if Paul isn't hell bent on retiring, Tamil Nadu could find plenty for him to do.
If the 380-crore World Tamil Conference didn't signal it loudly enough, a gigantic rally by Jayalalithaa on Tuesday sealed the deal - it's election season officially in Tamil Nadu.
The location: Once again, Coimbatore.
The AIADMK chief held a show of strength in the Textile City - one-and-a-half-lakh people gathered to witness her take on Chief Minister Karunanidhi and his family for everything from rising prices to power cuts. "When there are elections again, will you give the power to Karunanidhi's family and the DMK to rule you? You should not give the DMK another chance..." she said.
Coimbatore has traditionally served as an AIADMK bastion and it was important for Jayalalithaa to prove that hasn't changed even after Karunanidhi hosted his World Conference here - a five-day gathering of stratospheric proportions aimed at promoting the Tamil language and culture.
Over the last two years, the AIADMK has lost by-elections in more than 10 constituencies. A part of the defeat was attributed to Jayalalithaa's prolonged absence from public functions and rallies. Her rally proved she has the ability to connect with her voters. "If Amma travels like this to every district, she will definitely capture power," said a housewife.
For DMK chief Karunanidhi, what's at stake is a record sixth win and a chance to hand over the state to his son, MK Stalin. It's not just the AIADMK who will fight that. Karunanidhi's other son, MK Alaghiri, has indicated he'd like to challenge his brother for the mantle of chief minister. First though, a state has to be won.