From S P Rajendran/INN
Chennai, May 6, 2009
The campaign for the 15th Lok Sabha Election reached its peak in Tamil Nadu, which is going to poll in the last phase on May 13. Particularly, the leaders of AIADMK led five party alternative front are touring throughout the state and addressing massive rallies in various cities and towns.
On the other hand the DMK-Congress alliance has encaged in illegal business of bribing voters and unprecedented transgressions of code of conduct.
When the polling date is nearing, the overall pulse of the people of Tamil Nadu is favour for the AIADMK led alternative front.
Among the 40 Lok sabha constituencies in Tamil Nadu and Pudhucherry (39+1) AIADMK is contesting in 23 seats; PMK (Pattali Makkal Katchi) in 7 seats; MDMK (Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) in 4 seats; the CPI(M) and the CPI each in 3 seats.
In all these constituencies, thousands and thousands of cadres and supporters of the alliance parties are working fierce fully for the clean sweep in the polls.
AIADMK General secretray Ms J Jayalalitha has started her campaign tour on April 18th from Kanniyakumari constituency, in which the Communist party of India (Marxist) is contesting for second term.
From this southern tip of the nation, Ms Jayalalithaa continued her campaign programme towards Chennai via Thirunelveli, Madurai, Trichy, Coimbatore, Erode, etc. she planned to cover all 40 constituencies in her campaign. Almost in all constituencies, thousands of people poured in the public meetings, which were addressed by Ms Jayalalithaa. She said in an interview at Madurai in the midst of the campaign that the massive gathering of the rural as well as urban people in her campaign gave an energetic enthusiasm to the cadres.
As Ms Jayalalithaa’s campaign is progressing, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat, Polit Bureau members Sitaram Yechury, Manik Sarkkar (Tripura Chief Minister) Brinda Karat, K.Varadharajan, Central Control Commission Chairman N. Sankaraiah, state secretary N.Varadharajan, Communist Party of India general Secretary A.B.Bharadhan and National Secretary D.Raja are touring through out the state and addressing massive public meetings in support of five party alliance candidates. PMK founder Dr.S.Ramdoss and MDMK general secretary Vaiko are also attending huge rallies in various constituencies.
Left Parties
Among these 40 constituencies the left parties, CPI(M) and CPI are fighting in 6 seats. CPI(M) candidates P.Mohan, A.V.Bellarmine and P.R.Natarajan are fighting respectively in Madurai, Kanniyakumari and Coimbatore.
CPI Candidate D.Pandian, M.Selvaraj and P.Lingam are facing election respectively in North Chennai, Nagapattinam and Tenkasi.
All six constituencies are basically strong holds of communist movement and working class movement. Particularly Madurai, Nagapattinam, Kanniyakumari and Coimbatore are the strong bastions of the red flag.
With the support base of AIADMK and allies, the victory of left candidates is confirmed one.
In this situation, the DMK - Congress combine unleashed violence and dadagiri as it is losing its ground and minimal support.
As a futile effort to save the sinking ship of Congress - DMK alliance, DMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi firstly took up the Sri lankan Tamils issue.
As the Sri Lankan Army is moving forward in northern Sri Lanka, thousands of Tamil civilians without any support, caught in No Fire Zone and the plight of the innocent people is getting a grave concern, it took the centre stage of the election campaign in Tamil Nadu. Communist Party of India (Marxist) had urged the UPA government to bring maximum pressure on the Lankan government to make it cease hostilities immediately till all the civilians trapped in the conflict zone are evacuated. CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat said in public meetings at Madurai and Kanniyakumari constituencies that mere voicing of concern by our government wouldn’t help in saving the lives of thousands of Tamil civilians caught in the fighting. He said the Indian government should persuade the Sri Lankan government to heed to the request of the UN security council which has appealed for allowing international relief agencies to enter the area and do their work. He also said the LTTE must lay down arms.
But Mr. Karunanidhi, whose party the DMK is enjoying power in the UPA government had announced a general strike; and one week later he had observed an unannounced fasting in the name of Sri lankan Tamils.
Tamil Nadu people irked with these high dramas of DMK chief. Karunanidhi‘s such dramas didn’t attract the voters of Tamil Nadu and he couldn’t able to cheat them.
After this failure, the DMK tried another attempt to cheat the voters by reducing bus fares overnight. Earlier, the DMK government raised the bus fares in all over Tamil Nadu.
CPI(M), CITU and other organisations fought against this unannounced bus fare hike. But the government did not respond the people’s agony.
But for the election purpose only, DMK government had crossed previous limits of transgressions of code of conduct.
By effecting a statewide reduction in bus fares just days before the Lok Sabha election without even a formal government order, the DMK government has fallen foul of the rules of the game. If the overnight reduction without any prior announcement was bad enough, worse was the explanation offered to the election commission by the chief secretary: that the managing directors of the state transport undertakings took the decision on their own. That all the transport corporations ordered a downward revision on the same day without consulting the Minister was such a tall tale that the Election Commission was able swiftly to dismiss the explanation and ask the state government to withdraw the fare cut.
However, the bus fare cut is only one of several violations of the code.
Madurai
The blatant violations of poll code by DMK had gotten worse in Madurai. Madurai, where M K Azhagiri, son of Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, is contesting on the DMK ticket, is witness to money power and muscle power undermining the democratic process. Ruling party men have been distributing money to voters and attacking political opponents, particularly CPI(M) cadres who objected to their ways. Several cases have been filed and the Chief Electoral Officer has sent a report to the Election Commission. Evidently, an attempt is being made to replicate the formula worked out in the by - election for the Thirumangalam Assembly constituency in Madurai district in January. Then as now, huge money resources were placed in the hands of the ruling party’s campaign managers.
Nearly 28 crores of rupees were distributed to the voters with in 24 hours through out Madurai constituency by DMK men. They have plans to distribute another 50 crores of rupees at the final round.
All these illegal business of bribing voters took place in various places in the presence of police, but they did not take any action.
Earlier, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat had complained to the CEC about the violence and violations of the ruling party in Madurai.
Other than Madurai, in Sivaganga constituency, Congress candidate and union Home Minister P.Chidambaram‘s men were trying to bribe voters. But, the cadres of CPI(M), caught the culprits red handed.
Thus in many constituencies, the DMK - congress alliance is having faith in money and muscle power. On the contrary the AIADMK led alternative front is having its faith on people.
The people of Tamilnadu will prove their faith on this alternative on May 13th.
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