MillenniumPost
Nation

TN polls: AIADMK, DMK in battle gear; Cong in disarray

With about three weeks remaining for the issue of notification by electoral authorities to set in motion the poll process on 29 March, AIADMK’s poll preparations were in a full swing with the party supremo Jayalalithaa after completing first round of electioneering and setting out on second and final phase from on Tuesday.

Jayalalithaa, the only star campaigner for AIADMK, will be traversing across the state from Chidamabaram on Tuesday and winds up her electioneering in Chennai on 21 April, the day the public campaign ends. DMK, donned the poll battle gear since on Monday after announcing candidates for all the 40 seats it and its allies would contest in Tamil Nadu and also the lone seat in neighbouring Puducherry and unveiled manifesto, promising to fight for the cause of Tamils, an issue which would be the main plank of all political outfits in this election.

DMK Treasurer MK Stalin, affectionately called ‘dalapathi’ (Commander) by partymen, is launching campaign from 14 March and his father M Karunanidhi, the party supremo, was expected to tour some key segments in the state.

The initial euphoria that surrounded the formation of a formidable alliance involving BJP, DMDK, MDMK and other local outfits seemed to have hit the shaky ground, in the backdrop of lack of agreement on seat sharing among partners.

Sources in BJP say, some of the players like actor turned politician Vijayakanth’s DMDK and Vanniyar community strong man PMK’s S Ramadoss have been insisting for same constituencies in pockets of Tamil Nadu, which has become a bone of contention in finalising the seats.

Though there is some semblance of political activity in various other parties, the plight of Congress is pathetic as the Sonia Gandhi led party has been pushed to corners in the backdrop of Dravidian parties refusal to forge tie up for the polls. The Congress High Command, which is in dark and groping for poll strategy was yet to announce its plans for Tamil Nadu where it won nine seats in alliance with DMK in 2009. Apprehending that its poll prospects might doom on Tamils issue if it continued electoral relations with Congress, Karunanidhi-led DMK remained firm on snapping ties in this election.

Union Shipping Minister G K Vasan on Tuesday said he would not be contesting but campaign in all the 39 constituences in the state, indicating that Congress might put up candidates on its own.
The front ranking Congress leaders representing Tamil Nadu were yet to break their silence over the poll preparations and probably want the High Command to take a call.
Next Story
Share it