By IANS,
New Delhi : The abbreviated names of Tamil Nadu’s political parties can prove to be real tongue twisters for those living in other parts of India.
Even Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, a native of Kerala, was confused the other day while hearing pleas by three such parties seeking fixed symbols.
During the hearing, the chief justice was often heard saying MDMK when he meant DMDK! In fact, he even referred to it as DMK once. The lawyers present were left to correct the chief justice every time he named the DMDK wrongly.
Try it yourself – All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK).
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Friends of BJP – not of Advani?
People turned up in force for a ‘Friends of BJP’ meet here a couple of days ago – but Bharatiya Janata Party leaders present there were in for a reality check.
After party general secretary Arun Jaitley’s speech, the forum was thrown open for discussions. That’s when most of those attending the meet pledged support to the BJP – but not to L.K. Advani, the party’s prime ministerial candidate.
Many even said Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi should be put at the helm of affairs in the party. It seems 2009 is indeed the last chance for BJP’s ‘iron man’ to make it to the top job.
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A new mission for Jay-Veeru
Will this Jay-Veeru pull off for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) what their namesakes did for their employer in the Bollywood blockbuster “Sholay”? The two are puppets after all.
Anjan Roy Chowdhury, a puppet artist from West Bengal, is all set to make the off-screen duo a crowd-puller as he uses them to campaign for the BJP.
While the Jay-Veeru of “Sholay” took on bandits successfully, the puppets too have their task cut out – a poll battle, no less.
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Poets, polls and politicians
Poets suddenly find themselves in great demand in Lucknow, a city known for its culture of Urdu ‘shayari’. And the reason lies not in a spurt in literary activity but in the Lok Sabha polls.
Politicians are seeking them out to script public speeches. “Yes, it’s true, these days politicians are approaching us and seeking favours,” poet Gajendra Solanki told IANS.
The leaders want “catchy, crowd-pulling compositions,” in sync with their party’s ideology, he said.