People's Democracy

TAMILNADU ASSEMBLY POLLS

CPI (M) Leaders Expose DMK-Congress Misrule

S P Rajendran

BY the time we go to press, the election campaign in Tamilnadu has touched its peak, with the AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa, DMDK leader Vijayakant and also the leaders of the CPI(M) and CPI travelling across the state and addressing massive meetings.

General secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Prakash Karat, embarked on his three-day campaign in the state on April 5 at Marthandam in Vilavancode assembly constituency of Kanyakumari district.

CPI(M) Polit Bureau members Sitaram Yechury and Brinda Karat too travelled across the state from April 1 to 5, campaigning for the CPI(M), CPI, AIADMK and DMDK candidates in constituencies like Chennai, Chidambaram, Keezhvellore, Harur, Dindigul, Periyakulam, Bodinayakanur, Dharmapuri and Srivilliputhur. Another Polit Bureau member, K Varadharajan, is camping in the state, addressing several public meetings at various places in the state.

CPI(M) state secretary G Ramakrishnan, Central Committee members N Varadharajan, T K Rangarajan, Sudha Sundararaman and U Vasuki have also been campaigning statewide.  

CORRUPT

PARTNERS

The defeat of the corrupt DMK-Congress alliance in Tamilnadu would have an impact on the national politics as a whole, as the combine was hand-in-glove in the 2G scam, has denied any improvement in educational facilities for the people and has failed to eliminate hunger in the country. So said Sitaram Yechury at a public meeting at Harur. People should vote for the AIADMK-led front in the state not only to weed out corruption but also to bring about a desirable change at the centre by showing the Congress and its corrupt partners like the DMK the door, he added.

“Though our nation has massive human and natural resources, we could not achieve what we desire and could not bring about a pro-people change owing to unprecedented corruption in all spheres,” Yechury further said. “We have sufficient funds. But scams and looters prevented our growth and development. So throwing the DMK out of power is one way to stop mega corruption to make our nation powerful and strong,” Yechury asserted. He thanked the Tamilnadu chief minister M Karunanidhi for giving free colour televisions to the people so that they could understand the 2G scam better.

Briefing on the impact of 2G spectrum scam, Yechuri said at a meeting at Dindigul that the central government said it did not have Rs 80,000 crore for providing 35 kg of rice to every family below or above the poverty line and Rs 35,000 crore a year to provide quality education to all the children aged 5 to 14 years. If the 2G spectrum loot was prevented, however, all children could have got quality education by now and more schools could be constructed. “We could eliminate hunger from the country,” he said

Yechury accused the Congress party of having made money in sports, communication and arms purchases. But we have also learnt that the DMK was more perfect in this regard and has made money even in sand and stone. Its leaders have amassed wealth by destroying our natural resources, he said.

Stating that the petro prices were increased seven times and gas price four times in a year, the CPI(M) leader said the sharp price rise of essential commodities, owing to speculative and futures trading, has pushed another four crore people below the poverty line.

At present, nine per cent of the youth have got higher education in the country and have brought about a big change in the global manpower scenario. It is thus clear that India would become the leader in this sphere if only we take higher education to the rest of the youth. It is in fact the massive corruption that prevents India from becoming a leader in the world, he said. “The country has more potential and power to achieve. But we can achieve our cherished goals only by defeating the DMK in this election. Establishing a good government is important for achieving what we are capable of. Such a change will be a catalyst,” he said.

WINDS

OF CHANGE

The Election Commission should be wary that the “Thirumangalam formula,” exposed through the WikiLeaks and published in The Hindu, does not get replicated in the assembly elections. Brinda Karat said so at a public meeting at Chidambaram. She further said that even if the ruling party cadres flood the state with money and liquor, as ordained in the Thirumangalam formula, the people were determined to end the DMK regime in the next 10 days.

She said a vote is not a licence to loot the people. It is with the mission to end the plunder of public money by the current dispensation that nine parties have come together in a front.

According to the CPI(M) leader, winds of change are sweeping Tamilnadu as the people have come to realise that these elections provide an opportunity to dislodge the corrupt rulers and to convey a distinct message to the centre to change its anti-people policies.

She alleged that the Congress and the DMK were indulging in doublespeak, striking a totally different posture on the election platform (promising to contain inflation) from their docile acceptance of the cabinet decision (to enhance taxes and the prices of petro products).

She pointed out how the scams relating to 2G spectrum, Commonwealth Games, Adarsh housing project in Maharashtra and the real estate deals in Chennai surfaced one after another, like the peels of an onion. She alleged that the present dispensation seemed to be keen on self-aggrandisement rather than alleviating the sufferings of the farmers, fishermen and weavers.

CPI(M) state secretary G Ramakrishnan has expressed the opinion that the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) would get an absolute majority in the assembly elections and form the government.

Addressing press conferences at Nagercoil, Palayakottai and Chidambaram, Ramakrishnan said that chief minister M Karuanidhi, right from day one of his election campaign, had been levelling the charge that the Election Commission was imposing repressive measures on a selective basis. The fact, however, is that the ruling party had been unabashedly adopting the “cash for vote” practice as its birthright. As this was stopped by the Election Commission, it has obviously infuriated the DMK.

The CPI(M) has, he informed, appealed to the Election Commission to deploy paramilitary forces at Madurai and Chidambaram as these constituencies are highly sensitive.

He said this time around the “Thirumangalam formula” would not work because the people are fully aware of the failure of the DMK government in various spheres such as agriculture, textiles and inflation.

CPI(M) LIST INCLUDES

TWO WOMEN, FOUR DALITS

PRICE rise, scams, power cuts and unemployment will be the major issues the Communist Party of India (Marxist) will highlight during its election campaign in Tamilnadu, while seeking support from the electorate for the AIADMK-led alliance, CPI(M) state secretary G Ramakrishnan said this on March 19. 

Claiming that a change in government in Tamilnadu was imminent, Ramakrishnan told reporters at Tiruchi after the state committee meeting of the party that the CPI(M) would go all out in all the 234 assembly constituencies for the victory of the AIADMK-led combine.  

Announcing the names of the CPI(M) candidates for the 12 assembly constituencies which the party is to contest as a part of the AIADMK-led alliance, Ramakrishnan said the party's all-India leaders like Prakash Karat, Brinda Karat, Sitaram Yechury and K Varadharajan would embark on election campaigns in the first week of April in the state. Brinda Karat would campaign in the state from April 1 to 4, Prakash Karat from April 5 to 7, Sitaram Yechury from April 3 to 5 and K Varadharajan from April 1. 

All sectors suffered under the DMK regime in the last five years, he said. The law and order situation in the state has gone from bad to worse. The agriculture sector has been witnessing stagnation, leading to migration from the rural to urban areas. Replying to a query on the MDMK’s decision to boycott the polls, Ramakrishnan said that the CPI(M) had urged the MDMK leader, Vaiko, to reconsider his party’s stand. 

The meeting was attended by veteran leader R Umanath, Polit Bureau member K Varadharajan, Central Committee members N Varadharajan, T K Rangarajan and U Vasuki, and others. M N S Venkattaraman, a member of the state secretariat. presided over. 

3 SITTING MLAS

IN CPI(M) LIST 

The list of the party’s candidates includes three sitting MLAs --- K Balabharathi, P Dilli Babu and R Leema Rose --- and four state secretariat members. The names of the candidates were finalised at the CPI(M)’s state committee meeting. 

The constituencies and candidates are as follows: Perambur: A  Soundararajan; Chidambaram: K Balakrishnan; Tirupur South: K Thangavel; Periyakulam (reserved): A Lasar; Dindigul: K Balabharathi; Harur (reserved): P Dilli Babu; Vilavancode: R Leema Rose; Vikkravandi: R Ramamurthy; Palayamkottai: V Pazhani; Madurai South: R Annadurai; Maduravoyal: K Bhim Rao and Keezhvelur (reserved): Nagai Maali alias V P Mahalingam. 

Announcing the candidates’ names, CPI(M) state secretary G Ramakrishnan said that all the 12 candidates had worked for the party and had been consistently raising issues concerning the people. 

The party’s candidate for the Perambur constituency, A Soundararajan, is also the CITU state unit’s general secretary while K Balakrishnan is the state president of the Tamilnadu Vivasayikal Sangam (AIKS). A Lasar is state president of the All India Agricultural Workers Union. K Balabharathi is the party’s state committee member and also the leader of the party group in the state assembly. A sitting MLA, P Dilli Babu, is the party’s Dharmapuri district secretary while R Leema Rose is the party’s Nagercoil district secretariat member. The CPI(M) has fielded a dalit, K Bhim Rao, from Maduravoyal which is a general assembly constituency, Ramakrishnan said. 

The list includes two women and four dalits. 

REVEAL NAMES OF

GUILTY COPS: CPI(M)

On march 30, the CPI(M)’s Tamilnadu state committee asked the Election Commission to make public the names of the police officials who were allegedly involved in transporting money meant for bribing the voters.

Referring to the counter-affidavit filed by the EC in the Madras High Court on March 29, that it had received information that police jeeps were being used to distribute money, CPI(M) state secretary G Ramakrishnan said the EC should come out with details about the seizure made and the people who were responsible for the transportation of money. He said the people were entitled to know who were responsible involved in this transfer of cash for bribing the voters. “It must not remain a secret but should be made public,” he said.

Referring to the chief minister, M Karunanidhi's charge that the EC had imposed “excessive restrictions” during the run-up to the April 13 assembly elections, the CPI(M) leader said the DMK chief was trying to counter the tide against the government through his “intimidating comments” against the EC.

The EC was checking vehicles and seizing money as part of its duty, he said, adding that it should intensify the searches and ensure a free and fair election.

Ramakrishan said he was confident that distribution of money to the voters for illegitimate purposes would not work in the elections as the people had been badly affected by the power cuts, steep rises in the prices of essential commodities and the “total breakdown of law and order.” The closure of dyeing and bleaching units in Tirupur and the stagnation in the farm sector would also work against the government, he said.

Reacting to the chief minister's claim that the DMK would be able to form a government independently, he said, “How can the DMK, which is contesting only 119 seats, expect to get full majority?” On the other hand, the AIADMK, which is contesting 160 seats, would form the government with a good majority, he claimed.

POLL MANIFESTO

FOR PUDUCHERRY

On April 4, the Puducherry unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) released its manifesto for the assembly elections. The party has fielded its candidates in two constituencies — Mahe and Lawspet — and would support the AIADMK-NR Congress alliance in the other 28 seats.

Releasing the manifesto, CPI(M) Puducherry unit secretary V Perumal said the “corrupt” Congress-DMK governments at the centre and in the union territory of Puducherry were trying to hoodwink the electorate by offering freebies while they have failed to improve the socio-economic condition of the people.

Pointing out that many of the promises made by the Congress during the last assembly elections, including distribution of TV sets, 15 kg rice for differently abled persons and Rs 1000 fund for the unemployed youth, were not honoured. He said the financial position of Puducherry is in a shambles.

The poll manifesto of the CPI(M) stressed on formulating policy alternatives to the neo-liberal policies followed by the Congress-DMK government. If the people send the two CPI(M) nominees to the assembly, they would seek funds from the Textile Development Corporation for resurrection of the ailing weaving industry by modernising the major mills.

The party’s Central Committee member Sudha Sundararaman and Tamilnadu state committee member T Murugan were present on the occasion.