Economics of DMK's poll promises

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M.Karunanidhi on Wednesday explained the economics behind his promise of a colour television to each house without one; two acres of land for landless labourers and rice at Rs.2 a kilo, and said the total amount spent on these could be absorbed easily in a Rs.30,000 crore budget.(more...)

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Bhagyaraj joins DMK!

Bhagyaraj, one time loyal MGR fan, who was touted as his waris has now joined the DMK, on Wednesday at Anna Arrivalayam, the part headquarters in Chennai in the presence of M.Karunanidhi.
Bhagyaraj says: “I was a big supporter of AIADMK ever since I can remember but after Jayalalithaa launched personal attacks on National leaders, I kept away from politics. Now I feel that only the DMK led front could fulfill people’s aspirations and take the state forward”.(more...)

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Foot-in-mouthpiece: Vaiko poll backfires on DMK

An online survey conducted against MDMK leader Vaiko by the Tamil daily Dinakaran, a part of the Sun Group owned by the family of Union Minister Dayanidhi Maran, has proved embarrassing for the daily and the DMK in the runup to the elections.


The survey asks visitors to the site, www.dinakaran.com, to click on ‘yes,’ ‘no,’ or ‘no comment,’ to whether it was right on the part of Vaiko, who quit the DMK-led front and joined the AIADMK-led alliance, ‘‘to continuously target individuals in his election campaign to gain political mileage’’.(more...)

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Karthik could be the warhead in DPA’s Op Remove Amma

If the buzz in political circles here is to be believed, popular actor Karthik, who heads the state unit of the All India Forward Bloc, could be the DMK-led Democratic Progressive Alliance’s weapon against AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa in Andipatti. Hailing from the Thevar community, dominant in the southern districts including Theni within which falls Andipatti, Karthik could turn out to more than a handful for the Chief Minister.(more...)

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Farmers assn withdraws support to AIADMK

Reversing its decision to support the ruling AIADMK, M R Sivasami-led Tamizhaga Vivasiyagal Sangham (Tamil Nadu Farmers' Association) has decided to remain neutral in the May 8 Assembly elections.(more...)

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The AIADMK Government was oppressive

In the run up to the elections, there was speculation that the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) would desert the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led Democratic Progressive Alliance and go with the ruling All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) in Tamil Nadu. But that did not happen. PMK founder-leader S. Ramadoss discusses his poll plank with T. Ramakrishnan.(more...)

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Vaiko prisoner of circumstances: Raja

MDMK General Secretary Vaiko is a "prisoner of circumstances" and was indulging in "cheap polemics" in the run-up to the May 8 Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, CPI National Secretary D Raja, said today.

Vaiko, who had claimed to have played a major role in getting sanction for the Sethusamudram Canal project, is now aligned with the AIADMK(which opposes the project), he said.(more...)

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DMK candidate to focus on development

With no major steps being taken by the erstwhile MLAs of Erode to fulfil the long-pending demands of locals, DMK candidate NKKP Raja’s poll manifesto focuses on them, especially on the growth of the textile sector.

Erode is not only a major centre for handloom and powerloom cloth production, but also for trading activities. Indeed, Gani textile market in the town is the largest in south India, where nearly Rs 5 crore worth goods are sold at the weekly market days, Monday and Tuesday.(more...)

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DMK leaders join AIADMK

Nirmala Suresh, vice president of the DMK’s state literary wing, has joined the AIADMK in the presence of the party supremo J Jayalalithaa in Madurai.

Talking to reporters here on Saturday evening Nirmala said that she was quitting the DMK to protest the "domination of family members" in the party.(more...)

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Dalit forum supports DMK-led alliance

Tamil Nadu Paraiyar Peravai, a Dalit organisation, today extended support to the DMK-led Democratic Progressive Alliance in the May 8 Assembly elections.

Talking to reporters here, Samuel Paraiyar, its General Secretary, said the DMK's promise of providing two acres of land to the poor would benefit Dalits.

"If rice is sold for Rs two per kg through PDS, it will benefit poor people in rural areas. Most of the poor are Dalits," he said.(more...)

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TN polls: Mud-slinging dominates campaigning

Amidst simmering summer heat, the election scenario in Tamil Nadu has warmed up with personal attacks, claims, their counters and the foray of umpteen film stars into the campaign spree.

In the no-holds barred campaign for the May 8 polls in the state, which has a track record of personal attacks even during normal times and on the floor of the assembly, senior leaders are competing in levelling charges against each other.

Vaiko, the enemy-turned friend of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam supremo Jayalalithaa, has been unleashing a tirade against his political mentor and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief M Karunanidhi and his family members, particularly against the upcoming star of DMK -- Union IT and Communications Minister Dayanidhi Maran.(more...)

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Former TN speaker returns to DMK, accuses AIADMK leadership

The opposition DMK today got a shot in the arm when Sedapatti R Muthiah, a former speaker of the Tamil Nadu Assembly and a bitter critic of DMK leader M Karunanidhi, joined the DMK along with his followers.

Muthiah, who became the Speaker when the Jayalalithaa Ministry assumed charge for the first time in 1991, had also been a Union Minister in the Vajpayee Government in 1998 before he resigned in the wake of framing of charges in a disproportionate wealth case against him.(more...)

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Just fooling around

At the risk of sounding cynical, it must be said that with the people getting fooled by the slick, street-smart politicians round the year, there is nothing really sanctimonious about April 1, the official fools day. One often gets this self-deprecatory feeling that ours is a country of fools where fooling is a national habit and getting fooled a national weakness.
And no other time exemplifies this feel-fool-factor than poll time, which could be rated as the prime time for mass fooling,when politicians are at their fooling best and people at their believing worst. What coincidence that elections in TN almost always fall in May and campaigns begin on or around April 1. Fate favours the foolers, probably! This ritualistic democratic exercise lays waste the famed saying that one cannot fool everyone all the time. The only option the voters have is that they can choose the person they wish to be fooled by.(more...)

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Captain takes battle into PMK bastion

Actor Vijaykanth has decided to take the battle into the fort of his arch-rival Ramadoss by deciding to contest from Virudhachalam in Cuddalore district, a bastion of the Vanniyar community.

Ramadoss, who runs a predominantly Vanniyar party, the PMK, has had several brushes with Vijaykanth in the past. The row reached the peak two years ago when the actor called Anbumani Ramadoss a coward who was scared of the electorate.(more...)

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DMK plays double game, says Vaiko

MDMK general secretary Vaiko unleashed a scathing verbal attack on DMK president M Karunanidhi, his family run-Sun TV and Union Minister for IT and Communications Dayanidhi Maran as he began his campaign seeking votes for the candidates of the Democratic Peoples Front, led by AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa.(more...)

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Yet another political party launched

The medical fraternity - to be precise Siddha practitioners - have also jumped into the poll fray in Tamil Nadu. A group of Siddha practitioners have launched a political party to fight for the cause of alternative medical practitioners in the state.

Bharatha Marumalarchi Munnetra Kazhagam - BMMK, as it is christened, would be headed by its president K S Subaiah, Founder President of Sidha Doctor’s Association.(more...)

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Mixed response to DMK, AIADMK manifestoes

The leaders of farming community here are not fully happy with the poll manifestoes of DMK and AIADMK. However, some farmer leaders welcome DMK’s stand that all farm loans would be waived.

Both the parties have totally neglected major problems of farmers in their manifestoes, they said. For example, the manifestoes did not say anything about price hike for their produces and thus improve their economic condition. Instead, they tried to adopt populist measures, they complained.(more...)

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Contractor pitched against panchayat leader in Coonoor

DMK’s candidate for Coonoor Assembly constituency A Soundira Pandiyan is a lawyer by qualification but a civil contractor by profession.

The 49-year-old contestant from Periya Karumbalam was a student leader and supporter of DMK when he was in law college. Barring this, he is not all that well known to the voters in the constituency although he does have supporters in the party.(more...)

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Government's achievements will be DPA poll plank

Even though Congress and its allies Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Pattali Makkal Katchi and the two Communist parties, constituting the Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA), in Pondicherry are yet to come out with details of seat sharing among themselves, there is a definite indication that the parties would highlight the achievements of the Rangasamy-led government.(more...)

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300 cadres join AIADMK

As many as 300 cadres from various political parties in Koothappadi village in Pennagaram Assembly constituency on Saturday joined the AIADMK in the presence of Information and Publicity and Local Administration Minister K P Anbazhagan.

Anbazhagan was canvassing for AIADMK candidate S R Vetrivel from Pennagaram constituency at Hogenakkal.(more...)

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From beedi rolling to poll arena

The CPM candidate for Nagapattinam assembly seat 48 year old Marimuthu started his career as a beedi roller in Nagapattinam 35 years ago. He has travelled a long way since then to become a noted leader in the party.(more...)

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Sarath fans want him to form new party

The fans of Tamil film actor Sarath Kumar have demanded that the actor quit the DMK to form a new political outfit ahead of the May 8 Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu.


Posters demanding Sarath Kumar's exit from the party appeared in many parts of Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli districts after the DMK ignored the actor's request for at least one Assembly seat for office-bearers of his Fans Association.(>more...)

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AIADMK MLA to contest independently

After being denied a seat for the Assembly election by his party, AIADMK, Austin, the sitting MLA from Nagercoil on Saturday announced that he would contest in the election independently.(more...)

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DMK's Tiruvarur MLA joins AIADMK

In a prize catch for the AIADMK, DMK's Tiruvarur MLA A Asokan, who was denied a party ticket to contest the May 8 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, joined the ruling party in the presence of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.


Asokan, considered close to DMK youth wing leader M K Stalin, son of DMK president M Karunanidhi, was admitted into the AIADMK after he called on Jayalalithaa at Cuddalore where she was campaigning and expressed his desire to join the party, an AIADMK release said here last night.(more...)

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Jayalalithaa promises to eliminate unemployment

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Saturday appealed to the electorate to vote for the Democratic People's Alliance led by her party as it was certain that the Opposition parties "would not fulfil" their promises given during the May 8 elections.

During her electioneering on the second day, she told the people of Pondicherry that the AIADMK and its allies including the Pudhuvai Munnetra Congress (PMC) if elected to power in the Union Territory would resort measures to eliminate unemployment, root out corruption and ensure balanced growth of all the regions.(more...)

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AIADMK workers disrupt Jaya rally

Supporters staged a rare protest against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa rejecting her candidate in the legislative elections in Pondicherry.

They are unhappy over the nomination of Anandraj, a film star, replacing the original nominee Kama Nehru, a local hotelier.

"If Anandraj is allowed to contest, the AIADMK will not even get the deposit, said a local supporter.(more...)

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Vijaykanth accuses AIADMK, DMK of 'sop politics'

Popular Tamil film star Vijaykanth, founder president of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam, Sunday began his election campaign in the Kanchipuram district, lambasting both the AIADMK and DMK for promoting "free-gift culture" and "politics of lies".

Vijayakanth, who floated his party last September, will contest from the Vriddhachalam constituency, about 200 km south of here, while his party has fielded candidates in 140 of the 234 Tamil Nadu assembly seats going to the polls May 8.(more...)

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AIADMK, DMK facing rebellion

Dissensions and desertions are inseparable from the electoral scene of Tamil Nadu and the May 8 assembly polls are no exception.

The battle lines are drawn with most of the parties, including AIADMK and DMK, having completed the seat sharing exercise among their partners and selection of candidates without any hitch, but the two Dravidian parties are facing dissidence over the choice of nominees(more...)

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Tamil Nadu:PWP to contest assembly polls on its own

Disappointed over AIADMK not allotting even a single constituency to it, Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) today said it would contest the May eight assembly polls on its own.

The party state President Pon Kumar told reporters here that for 17 long years the party had been giving its support to AIADMK despite no seats being given to the party in the 1991, 1996 and 2001 assembly polls.(more...)

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AIADMK workers protest for giving seat to INTUC

Protesting against allotting Singanallur constituency in the city to INTUC, nearly 350 AIADMK workers today staged a demonstration in front of the party office and demanded that it be allotted to the party itself.

The workers, including 100 women, squatted in front of the office with placards and raised slogans to 'immediately change' the INTUC candidate from the constituency, police said.(more...)

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