The heat and dust of the
General elections have subsided and came to an end. It may take some time for
the embers to cool. But the unusually month long period of wait for the
counting of votes polled and the announcement of results has become vexatious
to everyone. The reasons adduced for this time gap by the Election Commission
are not convincing in spite of the fact that general elections were conducted
in five states simultaneously.
Around 3.2 crores electors
have voted to elect 234 Assembly members in Tamil Nadu. Though there were a
number of groups in the election fray, the main contest was only between the
DMK-led front and the ADMK-front. The duration available for campaigning and
canvassing was unusually very short. It was strange this time that even
wall-posters were not permitted.
The restraints were so
severe that the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Kalaignar was forced to comment, that
“In the eyes of the Constitution and the Election Commission, I am the Chief
Minister of this state till the election verdict is known. But I am told that
the VIP Guest House is out of bounds for me. I had to stay, therefore, at the
DMK Party office. For the past 20 days, I did not go to the Secretariat. The
Election Commission had imposed restrictions on me in handing the Prize money
announced by me on behalf of the Tamil Nadu government to the Indian Cricket
Team for winning the world cup.”
As for the campaign, it
was the DMK that listed out its achievements during its five year rule
supported by statistics detailing the cost of the scheme and the number of
beneficiaries. Top Congress leaders like Tmt. Sonia Gandhi, Pranab Mukherjee,
Rahul Gandhi and the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during their campaign spoke
in detail about the performance of the UPA government at the Centre for the
past seven years. They never referred to Jayalalitha during their campaign.
On the contrary,
Jayalalitha in all her meetings without any exception passed derogatory remarks
about Kalaignar and his family. During the course of her talks, she charged
that the DMK government’s welfare schemes were tailor-made to promote the
business interests of Kalaignar’s family members and not for the people of
Tamil Nadu. To quote a few, such schemes are the one-rupee a kg. rice scheme,
providing provisions at subsidized rates in the rations shops, women marriage
assistance scheme, pregnant women assistance, Kalaignar Health Insurance
scheme, 108 Emergency Ambulance service etc., Are these schemes formulated for
the benefit of Kalaignar’s family to promote their business interests?
The public have attended
these meetings of the two fronts and other meetings arranged by different
parties. This time the electors were very attentive. They were well informed.
They are in a position to evaluate the performance, achievements and
accomplishment of poll promises. They might have taken the right decision.
All the alliance parties
have done their job sincerely. The DMK, Indian National Congress, Pattali
Makkal Katchi, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal, the Muslim League, Kongunadu Munnetra
Kazhagam – the leaders and the cadres – have all actively participated in the
spirited poll campaign and whole-heartedly canvassed support for the unique
victory of the DMK front. The front met the people with confidence. The
credibility factor has worked.
Despite Jayalalitha’s
provoking stance and the aggressive attitude of ADMK cadre to precipitate the
atmosphere creating skirmishes, polling went on peacefully.
Voters turn out in Tamil
Nadu is about 80 percent which is more than the earlier all time voters turn
out 76.57 in 1967. It is 85 percent now in Puducherry.
We hopefully believe that
the DMK front is comfortably poised for victory.
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