By V.M. Khaleelur Rahman for TwoCircles.net,
The 234 member strong Tamil Nadu Assembly election scheduled for a single day on 13th April 2011 is very crucial and watched with much delight by political observers.
DMK alliance
The DMK led alliance is contesting the TN assembly elections party wise as follows: DMK 119, Congress 63, PMK 30, VCK 10, KNMK 7, IUML 3, MMK 1 and Perunthalaivar Makkal Katchi 1 total 234 seats.
The DMK seems to be still popular and may come out successful in a good number of the constituencies it contests. The Congress which has been allotted 63 seats after much persuasion is also in a good position in the Tamil Nadu politics. No doubt it will win more seats this time and contribute a lot for the success of all the alliance parties as it enjoys a good image as a national party heading the UPA government at the Centre. Some of the quick decisions taken by the Prime Minister Mr. Manmohan Singh’s government in Kalmadi, Raja and other issues have also made the people value the Congress a bit more in this election. Perhaps this is the reason why it got 63 seats to contest. Tamil Nadu Congress Committee President Mr. K.V. Thangkabalu is optimistic about its success. He says “the Congress is in for good times in Tamil Nadu following the polls which our alliance is sure to win” which is considered as a statement of intent on power-sharing in governance.
[Photo: tamilspider.com]
The Muslim League is fielding Mr. H.Abdul Basith, the sitting M.L.A. again in the Vaniyambadi constituency and Mr. Althaf Hussain and Mr. M. Mohammed Sheikh Dawood in the Harbour and Nagapattinam constituencies respectively and they will fight the election on the Rising Sun symbol of the DMK.
After initially allotting three seats to its ally IUML, the DMK took one from it, besides one each from its own and PMK to accommodate the demand by the Congress for 63 seats. However following the protest of the Muslim League leaders like Ms. Fathima Muzaffar, the DMK restored one seat and allotted three.
Mr. M. Karunanidhi, the DMK Chief released a list of party candidates for 119 seats on 17th March 2011. While he is to contest from his native Tiruvarur constituency which he described as his long time desire, his political rival Ms. Jayalalithaa has selected the temple city of Srirangam for the contest.
The DMK has preferred to give new look to the organization by giving tickets to 58 newcomers, mostly youngsters. There are also 26 advocates, 3 doctors and 27 post graduates among the selected 119 candidates. Thus the DMK is advancing in the political arena by bringing in new blood to the party. It has also shown its maturity in the selection of constituencies for itself and other alliance parties without much hullabaloo.
But both the DMK and AIADMK failed to select more woman candidates even though quite a large number of women applied for tickets. The representation of women is not even 10% in the candidates selected by them. Activists who demand 33% representation for women regret this situation and say that political parties pay only lip sympathy to them. Muslim representation is also meagre.
The DMK showed magnanimity in accommodating its alliance parties suitably and proved that it is a reliable partner whereas the AIADMK landed in trouble by disregarding and not consulting its poll partners before releasing its list of candidates. People consider the DMK alliance a more dependable conglomerate for all political purposes. This apart the DMK patriarch is loved as a rational leader and as one who has served the people belonging to the schedule castes, schedule tribes and backward classes by various schemes in educational, social and religious fields. The DMK’s novel project of free distribution of TVs has also increased its popularity. The 3.5% reservation sanctioned by the DMK for the backward classes such as Muslims which enabled them to get more seats in educational institutions, even in medical and engineering colleges, and placements in government offices, schools and colleges has pleased the Muslim community.
In the Election Manifesto released on 19th March 2011 for the forthcoming assembly elections the DMK promises inter alia 1) Rs.750 per month pension for the aged, widows, handicapped etc. 2) Free laptop for Adivasi students in colleges. 3) Free travel pass for Senior Citizens in government buses 4) Free Grinder or Mixi for women 5) 35 kg rice for people below poverty line which will benefit about 10 lakh families 6) A medical college in all district headquarters.
The Congress, in its first release of candidates for 60 constituencies, has allotted Krishnagiri for a Muslim woman, Ms. Haseena Syed. In Ambur, a constituency with a sizeable Muslim population and popular for leather tanneries, shoe factories and sugar mill, the Congress is fielding Mr. Vijaya Ilanchezhian.
The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) President Mr. Thol. Thirumavalavan has allotted Ulundurpettai constituency to Mr. Mohamed Yousuf.
This party is in the DMK alliance and contesting in 10 seats.
AIADMK alliance
The AIADMK led alliance consists of parties like DMDK, CPI-M, CPI, All India Manitha Neya Makkal Katchi (MNMK), All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi (SMK), Puthiya Tamizhagam (PT), All India Forward Bloc (FB), All India Mooventhar Munnetra Kazhagam (MMK), Republic Party of India (RPI) and Tamil Nadu Ilaignar Kongu Peravai (TNIKP)
The allotment of seats among the AIADMK alliance parties is as follows after much deliberation. AIADMK 160, DMDK 41, CPI-M 12, CPI 10, MNMK 3, PT 2, SMK 2, FB 1, MMK 1, RPI 1 and TNIKP 1.
The AIADMK chief Ms. J. Jayalalithaa filed her nomination in the Srirangam constituency and released the party manifesto on 24TH March 2011 promising 1) Free Laptop to all higher secondary and arts and science college students 2) 20 kg of rice for all ration card holders 3) Free Mixie, Grinder, Fan for households 4) Free bus pass for the public more than 58 years of ago.5) Poor people will be given Rs.1.8 lakh as subsidy for home constructions 6) . Rs.25,000 fpr marriage along with 4 gram gold 7) Rs.12,000 pregnancy benefits 8) Military forces will be involved to eradicate electricity theft 9) Three phase EB connection to be launched in rural and urban areas within 4 years and many other things.
The MNMK’s constituencies and candidates are 1) Ambur – Aslam Basha 2) Chepauk – Thameem Ansari 3) Ramanathapuram – Prof. Jawahirullah
This front has the advantage of the popular film star “Captain” Vijayakanth, the founder of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), two Communist parties and Prof. Jawahirullah’s Manitha Neya Makkal Katchi (MNMK) which have their own strong support pockets. But the fact remains that the AIADMK front did not do its home work properly and created an impression among the people that it was not as strong as its rival front. The coming out of Mr. Vaiko led MDMK from this alliance is considered as a big disadvantage to it. Mr. Vaiko is a popular firebrand orator and is capable of mesmerizing the people. His party left the alliance hurt and upset as the AIADMK chief Ms. J. Jayalalithaa was prepared to give only 12 seats instead of 21 demanded by it.
Mr. Vaiko’s political mentor and DMK chief Mr. M. Karunanidhi has hinted that he would embrace the likes of him back into the party fold.
The general feeling among the people is that the DMK led front is stronger and well placed in Tamil Nadu. However nobody can gauge what is in the minds of the people. It remains to be seen what happens in the coming democratic exercise scheduled for a single day on 13th April 2011.