Monday, January 31, 2011

PMK, DMDK may seek 50 seats each

CHENNAI: Battlelines are drawn for the assembly elections in Tamil Nadu with enough indication that the two fence-sitters, the DMDK and PMK, will align with the AIADMK and DMK respectively.

For the two Dravidian majors, it will be a complex task to satisfy their newfound partners who are likely to demand at least 50 seats each. The AIADMK will have on its side the MDMK, the Left parties and most likely the DMDK. The rival camp will include the DMK, the Congress, the VCK and the PMK.

Since its inception in September 2005, this is the first time that the Vijayakanth-led DMDK would opt to be in a poll alliance. It contested on its own for both the last assembly and Lok Sabha elections. As for the PMK, the party will return to the DMK-fold after a brief estrangement when it teamed up with the AIADMK for the 2009 Lok Sabha election.

The DMDK and the PMK could be hard bargainers given their individual strengths in 10 northern districts from where they have garnered more than 5% of the total polled votes in the state in the previous elections. The DMDK has an equal share of votes, about 5%, spread out in the rest of the state as well. Performance of the two parties in the earlier polls shows that the PMK got 5.89% votes in the 1991 assembly polls, 3.84% in 1996, 5.56% in 2001 and 5.65% in 2006.

The DMDK got 8.38% votes in 2006 elections. While the PMK's vote share remained more or less same at 5.72% in 2009 parliamentary polls, the DMDK bettered its performance by securing 10.08% votes.

The DMDK secured more than 20,000 votes in 27 assembly segments, more than 15,000 votes in 75 segments, more than 10,000 votes in 169 segments and more than 5,000 votes in 228 segments in the last parliamentary polls.

The party polled more than the winner's margins in 161 assembly segments. Since the DMDK had positioned itself as an alternative for both - the DMK and the AIADMK - in the previous polls, its votebank could see some erosion in the event of its aligning with the AIADMK.

Also, one has to factor in the loss to the AIADMK front on account of the PMK shifting to the opposite camp. The polls will not be a cakewalk for either front and a tilt of 10,000 votes per segment could be crucial in a closely contested poll.

The DMDK's electoral strategy will be fine-tuned by a five-member team led by party president Vijayakanth himself. Other members are Panruti S Ramachandran, K Pandiarajan, K R Veerappan and party youth wing leader L K Sudhish. Asked about the seats it would want to contest, Ramachandran, the DMDK party presidium chairman, said, "We have not yet applied our minds on that issue because it also depends on how the alliance is worked out. All I can say now is that we will be the second major partner in the AIADMK alliance."

But there are indications that the DMDK has demanded 50 seats from the AIADMK. The PMK is more forthcoming on its demands. Party leader S Ramadoss recently told the media that the PMK will demand 50 seats. The party contested in 31 assembly seats and won 18 seats in 2006.

Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Good news on alliance soon: Vijayakanth

CHENNAI: Reiterating that the Desiya Murpokku Dravidar Kazhagam (DMDK) would form an alliance for the forthcoming Assembly elections, party president Vijayakanth said he would align with the party that keeps people happy.

“We will align with a party that people are happy with,” he said at a function organised to welcome cadre from various political parties into the DMDK at the party headquarters here on Wednesday. “The alliance that has DMDK will emerge victorious,” he added.

When party cadre raised the ‘two leaves’ symbol and shouted for AIADMK at the function, he immediately replied that he would bring good news to them soon.
Source:http://expressbuzz.com/

I have no problems in having an alliance with Vijaykanth - actor Sarath Kumar

CHENNAI: Amidst talks of possible alliance with the AIADMK, actor Sarath Kumar on Sunday confirmed that he would definitely be contesting the assembly elections scheduled later this year. However, he remained tight- lipped about the likelihood of his political outfit AISMK (Akhila Indiya Samathuva Makkal Katchi) tying up with AIADMK for the elections. "It's possible, but I can't say anything yet as we are still in the process of talks. I will announce it in a week's time maybe," he said on Sunday where he briefed the media about the formation of a worker's union affiliated to his party called Samathuva Thozhilsanga Kootamaipu.

While confirming his candidature on one hand, Sarath Kumar did not indicate what would be the constituency of his choice from where he would contest for the elections. "I haven't decided yet," he said. "Could be Tuticorin, Tirunelveli, Tiruchi or any number of places. Maybe even Chennai." Party sources said the actor is likely to contest from Alangulam, the seat of the current IT Minister and DMK heavy-weight, Ponngothai Aladi Aruna. However, the actor warded off any queries in this regard.

Significantly, he said he would be agreeable to an alliance that included actor Vijayakanth. "I have no problems in having an alliance with Vijaykanth," he said. Actor Vijaykanth's party, the DMDK, is in talks with the AIADMK for the elections.

The actor meanwhile did not spare his punches as he lashed out at the DMK on various issues including the 2G spectrum scam, the recent killing of fishermen, the price rise and the dole of freebies. "I greatly admire the chief minister and consider him to be a father figure to me. But where a wrong has been committed, I shall not hesitate to point out,' he said.

Pointing a finger at the sops given out the ruling party including colour televisions, he said "Freebies are not good for the economy. Instead of colour televisions, they could give out free education and medical treatment or free computers." He said his party would hold discussions on the issue and include it in its party manifesto.

Jayalalithaa set to tie up with Vijaykanth's DMDK

NEW DELHI: With elections to the Tamil Nadu assembly round the corner, main contenders DMK and AIADMK have started finalising their alliances.

Chief Minister M Karunanidhi will arrive here shortly to finalise the seat-sharing deal with Congress. His arch-rival J Jayalalithaa is busy courting other stakeholders.

The AIADMK supremo is in the process of forging a broad coalition comprising Left parties, former Union minister Vaiko's MDMK, superstar Vijayakanth's DMDK and former Rajya Sabha member R Sarathkumar's Akila Indiya Samathuva Makkal Katchi (AISMK).

Anxious to build a formidable coalition to defeat the ruling alliance, which is also expected to rope in the Vanniyar-dominated PMK, Jayalalithaa has been holding discussions with Vijayakanth, known as Captain among his fans, and Sarathkumar, who belongs to the Nadar community, in an attempt to shore up her prospects in the ensuing electoral battle.

In the May, 2006 assembly polls, AIADMK, which had entered the electoral ring in the company of MDMK, polled a respectable 32.64% votes, while its alliance partner secured almost 6% votes.

It still lost the battle to the DMK-Congress-PMK combine, which secured 40.49% votes. Vijayakanth's outfit, going solo, fielded its candidates in all but two 234 assembly constituencies, bagged only one seat but polled 8.38% to damage AIADMK's prospects in several constituencies. DMDK repeated the feat in the 2009 general election, forcing Jayalalithaa to rethink her electoral strategy.

A popular film actor who is quite a hit among the youth, Vijayakanth enjoys an across-the-board appeal, while his fellow-actor Sarathkumar's influence is limited to southern districts, where Nadars, who comprise some 2% of the state's voter-base, are present in sizeable numbers.

Left parties, which have considerable clout in districts which have a strong industrial base, were with DMK in the previous assembly polls, but have since gravitated towards AIADMK.

While CPM, which won 9 assembly seats in 2006, cornered 2.65% votes, CPI, which romped home in 6 assembly segments, pulled 1.61% votes.

PMK, which had contested the 2009 general election in Jayalalithaa's company is however, likely to rejoin forces with the DMK-Congress combine, even though a formal decision to this effect is yet to be made.

Political observers from Tamil Nadu agree that Jayalalithaa, with her umbrella alliance, is expected to pose a formidable challenge to the DMK-led grouping. In the past couple of days, AIADMK supremo has undertaken a whirlwind tour of the coastal districts in an effort to whip up anger among the fishing community over the state government's and Centre's 'indifference' to their plight.

Two Tamil fishermen were killed in the last fortnight by the Sri Lankan Navy, and the issue has snowballed into a major political row in the poll-bound state.

AIADMK is also hoping to capitalise on the anti-incumbency sentiment wafting through the state.
Source:http://economictimes.indiatimes.com

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Vijayakanth dares Karunanidhi

CHENNAI: Actor-turned-politician Vijayakanth has thrown a challenge at chief minister M Karunanidhi, saying he would contest in the same constituency as the DMK chief for the forthcoming assembly election. Participating in a Pongal function in Villupuram on Saturday, the actor, who heads the DMDK, said, "If need be, I will contest against the chief minister himself."

The actor who is likely to align with the AIADMK, said he would contest in whichever assembly constituency Karunanidhi chose to fight. Vijayakanth's challenge could throw up an interesting electoral contest. In most assembly elections, the DMK chief has contested from the Chepauk assembly constituency that falls within Chennai.

Of late, there has been some talk that the party patriarch is likely to choose a constituency outside the city. Chennai has for long been a DMK citadel. But rival AIADMK stormed its bastion both in the 2006 assembly election and the 2009 Lok Sabha election making considerable gains.

As for Vijayakanth, he has given enough indication that his party would choose the AIADMK over the DMK for the assembly election. At the party's recent Salem conference, Vijayakanth, while declining to make an announcement about the party's decision for the assembly election, merely said no party can come to power in Tamil Nadu without aligning with his DMDK.

His priority, he said was to oust Karunanidhi's "corrupt regime", making it clear that his party would not have any truck with the DMK.

At the Villupuram function, Vijayakanth said he had visited the town after floating his party for the first time in 2005. Stagnant drainage water continued to mess up the ground even now. "This clearly shows that the administration has done very little," he said.

Read more: Vijayakanth dares Karunanidhi - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Vijayakanth-dares-Karunanidhi/articleshow/7307516.cms#ixzz1Bn3XhH00

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Vijayakanth-dares-Karunanidhi/articleshow/7307516.cms

DMDK takes the ‘long road’ to reach record books

SALEM: Close on the heels of Salem Collector J Chandrakumar’s warning of stringent action against violations while erecting flex banners or hoardings, DMDK’s youth wing leader LK Sudhish revealed at an all-party meeting on Friday that the party would attempt to enter the Guinness Book of World Records with the biggest-ever flex banner/hoarding campaign during the January 9 conference here.

Giving details of the preparations ahead of the show of strength, Sudhish, who is the brother-in-law of party founder Vijayakanth, said the party would try to pull off the first such campaign in the history of Tamil Nadu politics.

Flex banners and flags would be lined up from the party headquarters in Chennai to the conference venue here — covering a distance of 360 km, he said.

A similar ‘road show’ is being planned from Tirumangalam in Madurai — the venue of DMDK’s first conference — to Salem, a distance of 310 km. Yet another line-up of festoons and flags could be seen on the Trichy-Salem NH for a distance of 135 KM.

Moreover, posters of different sizes have already been pasted on public walls. Apart from the sheer volume of digital sycophancy, MGR’s images and pictures of Vijayakanth morphed in the last chief minister’s outfit have been profusely used.

It reaches a crescendo a kilometre away from the meet venue, where giant cut-outs, measuring over 100 ft, of Vijayakanth and wife Premalatha have been erected.

Dravidian leaders like Periyar, Anna and MGR, and statesman Kamaraj find place in one in five banners and party invitations. Although this may suggest that Vijayakanth’s leanings are towards the AIADMK, there are several superimpositions of Vijayakanth’s image against the Assembly, suggesting that taking power is his goal, rather than alliance.

“We have always been using MGR icons because Vijayakanth is after all a follower of his policies,” Sudhish explained. However, he hinted that Vijayakanth was destined to appropriate MGR’s political legacy, as “that is what the people in the state wish”.

When asked about violations during their banner campaign, Sudhish and other senior partymen pointed fingers at other parties.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Vijayakanth team to talk to AIADMK

Jan. 11: Taking forward his promise at the Salem conference to forge an alliance to defeat the DMK regime in the coming elections, the DMDK founder actor Vijayakanth is constituting a three-member team to discuss seat-sharing with the AIADMK when he returns here on Wednesday, sources close to the star-politician said.

They said party presidium chairman Panruti S. Ramachandran would head the team comprising ‘Mafoi’ Pandiarajan and L. K. Sudish, who is Mr Vijayakanth’s brother-in-law. The three are likely to begin ‘exploratory’ discussions with an AIADMK team shortly.

While mounting a blistering attack on Karunanidhi regime at the Salem conference, which saw a huge turnout on Sunday, Mr. Vijayakanth had dropped enough hints regarding forging alliance with the AIADMK.

He could also see that a good majority of the turnout at that rally wanted alliance with Ms Jayalalithaa and waved two fingers to indicate her party’s two-leaves symbol. For her part, Ms Jayalalithaa has maintained silence about ties with the DMDK. She held ‘preliminary’ talks with Left leaders Prakash Karat and A. B. Bardhan.

Meanwhile, some DMDK leaders appeared uncomfortable that the AIADMK channel, Jaya TV, completely blacked out the Salem rally. They expected that the channel would lift its boycott of their Captain but it appeared that the channel managers had not yet received the green signal to cover Karuppu MGR.

Source : Deccan Chronicle

சேலம் தேமுதிக மாநாடு-திமுக மீது கடும் விமர்சனம்-அதிமுகவுடன் கூட்டணி?

சேலம்: சேலத்தில் தேமுதிகவின் மாநில மாநாடு இன்று பிற்பகல் தொடங்கியது. மாலை 5 மணிக்கு மேல் கட்சியின் நிர்வாகிகள் பேசத் தொடங்கினர். இரவில் கட்சித் தலைவர் விஜயகாந்த் பேசுகிறார். கட்சியின் மாநில நிர்வாகி ஒருவர் அதிமுகவுடன் கூட்டணி வைப்பார் கேப்டன் என்று பேசினார். இதன் மூலம், அதிமுக கூட்டணியில் தேமுதிக இணைவது உறுதியாகியுள்ளது.

தேமுதிகவினர் மட்டுமல்லாமல் ஒட்டுமொத்த அரசியல் வட்டாரமும் பெரும் எதிர்பார்ப்பில் உள்ள சேலம் தேமுதிக மாநில மாநாடு இன்று பிற்பகல் தொடங்கியது.

கட்சி தொடங்கிய பின்னர் பெரிய அளவில் மாநாடு எதையும் நடத்தவில்லை தேமுதிக. மாறாக வருகிற தேர்தல்களில் எல்லாம் தனியாக போட்டியிடுவதும், ஆங்காங்கே ஆர்ப்பாட்டங்கள், உண்ணாவிரதங்கள் போன்றவற்றை நடத்துவதிலும் கட்சியை வழிகாட்டி வந்தார் விஜயகாந்த்.

தமிழக அரசியலில் தான் ஒரு தவிர்க்க முடியாத சக்தி என்பதை ஆணி்த்தரமாக இல்லாவிட்டாலும் கூட, ஓரளவு நிரூபித்து விட்டார் விஜயகாந்த். இதையடுத்து அவருடன் கூட்டணி சேர கட்சிகளுக்குள் கடும் போட்டா போட்டி.

இந்த நிலையில் சட்டசபைத் தேர்தல் நெருங்குவதையொட்டி கட்சியினரை உற்சாகமூட்டும் வகையில் வீரபாண்டியாரின் கோட்டையாக கருதப்படும் சேலத்தில் பிரமாண்ட மாநில மாநாட்டுக்கு ஏற்பாடு செய்திருந்தார் விஜயகாந்த்.

நாமக்கல் சாலையில் வீராசாமிபுதூரில் மக்கள் உரிமை மீட்பு மாநாடு என்ற பெயரில் ஏற்பாடு செய்யப்பட்டிருந்த இந்த மாநாடு இன்று பிற்பகல் தொடங்கியது. கட்சித் தலைவர் விஜயகாந்த் கட்சிக் கொடியை ஏற்றி வைத்து மாநாட்டைத் தொடங்கி வைத்தார்.

அப்போது மனைவி பிரேமலதா, அவைத் தலைவர் பண்ருட்டி ராமச்சந்திரன் உள்ளிட்டோர் உடன் இருந்தனர்.

பின்னர் கலை நிகழ்ச்சிகள் தொடங்கின. மாலை 5 மணிக்கு மேல் கட்சி நிர்வாகிகள் பேசத் தொடங்கினர். பேச்சாளர்கள் அனைவரும் சொல்லி வைத்தாற் போல திமுகவையும், திமுக அரசையும் கடுமையாக சாடிப் பேசினர். ஒருவர் கூட அதிமுகவையோ, முந்தைய அதிமுக ஆட்சிகள் குறித்தோ ஒரு வார்த்தை கூட பேசவில்லை. அதிலும் ஒருவர் அதிமுகவிடம் எத்தனை தொகுதிகளைக் கேட்டாலும் அது தரும். எனவே கேப்டன், அதிமுகவுடன் கூட்டணி வைப்பார் என்று பேசியதால் அதிமுகவுடன் கூட்டணி வைக்கும் முடிவுக்கு விஜயகாந்த் வந்து விட்டதை உணர முடிகிறது.

இறுதியாக விஜயகாந்த் பேசவுள்ளார். அப்போது அவர் கூட்டணி குறித்து அவர் முறைப்படி அறிவிப்பார்.

இதன் காரணமாக தேமுதிகவினர் பெரும் எதிர்பார்ப்புடன் சேலத்தில் குவிந்துள்ளனர். மாநாட்டையொட்டி சேலமே தேமுதிகவினர் முற்றுகையால் திமிலோகப்பட்டு வருகிறது.

மாநாட்டுக்காக பிரமாண்ட பந்தலும், மேடையும் போடப்பட்டுள்ளது. நகர் முழுவதும் டிஜ்ட்டல் பேனர்கள் வெளுத்துக் கட்டி வருகின்றன. எங்கு பார்த்தாலும் விஜயகாந்த்தின் பளிச் சிரிப்பு போஸ்டர்களும், டிஜிட்டல் பேனர்களும் காணப்படுகின்றன.

மாநாட்டுக்குப் போலீஸ் பாதுகாப்பு [^] போடப்பட்டிருந்தாலும் கூட, அதிமுக பாணியில், தேமுதிகவும், சிறப்புப் பாதுகாப்புப் படையை தனது தொண்டர்களைக் கொண்டு அமைத்துள்ளது.

Source:http://thatstamil.oneindia.in

DMDK writes to Mamata to increase frequency of Tirukkural Express

Actor Vijayakant's party, Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), has written to the Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee to increase the frequency of the Tirukkural Express between Nizamuddin and Kanyakumari running once a week at present as a daily express.

The Delhi Pradesh secretary T. Nagarajan, in his letter to the Minister pointed out that ever since Tirukkural Express was started in October 2002, it was running once a week.

Persistent efforts to increase the frequency of this train had not yielded the desired result so far.

The party said that increasing the frequency of this train to run on daily basis was essential as this was the only direct train from New Delhi connecting the important stations in —Tamil Nadu, viz. Tiruchi, Dindigul, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Nagercoil and Kanyakumari.

It said that this train had become very popular among the public and the tourists as it connected important tourist destinations.

The party therefore requested the Railway Minister to look into the matter sympathetically and take suitable steps in the coming Railway Budget to make Tirukkural Express run on daily basis.
Source: The Hindu

DMDK looks to increase voteshare in 2011

CHENNAI: The DMDK is positioning itself as a rising sun in Tamil Nadu politics. The party hopes to garner at least 14% of the votes in the upcoming state assembly elections which could swing in favour of the party with which it aligns. A day after DMDK leader Vijaykanth asserted at the party's Salem conference that no outfit in the state could come to power without his support, party's presidium chairman Panruti K Ramachandran told TOI, "In the 2006 assembly elections, we got 8.5% of the votes and the vote percentage went up to 10.5 in the parliamentary elections. Now we hope to get at least 14% of the votes and this will help whichever front we decide to align with in the assembly polls."

Asked how his party supremo had made the claim that the DMDK would decide the winner of the assembly elections, Ramachandran, a key member of the regional outfit's think tank, said, "Even during the last parliamentary elections, DMDK was assessed as a game changer in Tamil Nadu politics". Actor Vijayakanth, busy with the shoot of his latest film Viruthagiri', for the first time on Sunday indicated that his party will align with the AIADMK or parties opposed to the DMK. "We are definitely not with the DMK on various counts like corruption, inefficiency and family rule," said Ramachandran, confident that the front to which the DMDK vote percentage is added will gain. On an electoral tie-up with the AIADMK, he said talks had not begun yet. "Only recently, the AIADMK constituted a committee to negotiate with other parties," he said.

A glance at the electoral records show that the DMDK secured 8.45% of votes in the 2006 assembly polls and won one seat out of the 232 it contested. The party lost deposits in 223 constituencies. In the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, the party contested in 40 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state and Puducherry. It forfeited deposits in all the constituencies but secured 10.08% of the votes polled. It has shown at the very least, a confidence to contest from many constituencies.

A senior AIADMK leader was guarded when asked for his comments on Vijayakanth's statement. "This is not the proper time to support or oppose his point of view. Any statement from us at this juncture will only create an adverse situation".

"Vijayakanth's statement (that no party could come to power without his support) cannot to be taken seriously. Almost all junior parties say this kind of thing, sometimes at the national level too. The PMK does it all the time," said political analyst Cho Ramaswamy. On whether the DMDK would be a key player, he said: "The AIADMK needs him (Vijayakanth). Otherwise he will divide votes and help the DMK return to power".

Read more: DMDK looks to increase voteshare in 2011 - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/DMDK-looks-to-increase-voteshare-in-2011/articleshow/7256499.cms#xzz1AjZW2WrE

Monday, January 10, 2011

களத்தில் கருப்பு எம்ஜியார்.....















Captain fires salvo at DMK

They are coming to us?!” were supposed to be the first words of a shocked Kanimozhi, MP-daughter of Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi when she got the news of CBI raids in Chennai, particularly on Father Jegath Gaspar, her close associate and head of an NGO called Tamil Maiyam, of which she
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was a trustee.

As the sleuths spread the dragnet to track the money trail of the 2G spectrum scam, Karunanidhi and his family had never appeared more vulnerable.

The sleuths had closed in on V Rathnam, the auditor of Karunanidhi’s third wife and Kanimozhi’s mother Rajathi, and A Kamaraj, associate editor of Nakkeeran magazine and very close to both former telecom minister A Raja and Karunanidhi. The writing on the wall was clearer. It was not just Raja who was in the dock.

Also, the DMK strategy, approved by Karunanidhi, to drop Raja to save the party’s image has yielded nothing.

The big question now is whether he can drop Kanimozhi too. Her half-brothers may want just that to save their power but can he hang up on a daughter whose existence he had not acknowledged for many years and was constantly guilt-prodded to do “something” for her?

As murkier deals involving the close family members began to tumble out of the files and diaries, Karunanidhi realised he could save neither his family nor the DMK from the sleaze tag ahead of the assembly polls in April-May 2011.

A fortnight ago, when Karunanidhi was provoked by his political rival, AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa, to re-state his assets, he hadn’t thought that the scam scar would be come so close.

Dismissing her accusations, he had got down to detailing “every penny” he had earned in his life as a film writer - how he had bought a car and his present Gopalapuram house for Rs 45,000 even before he became a minister.

But, by Wednesday evening, his rags-to-life tale paled into insignificance and the needle of suspicion was on himself, his daughter and wife.

Karunanidhi (86) had faced corruption charges earlier too. During 1967-69, his tenure as PWD minister in the first DMK ministry had seen scams. In 1976, Karunanidhi’s ministry was dismissed by the Indira Gandhi government on corruption charges.

But what distinguished his record then and today was the involvement of family members, admit DMK leaders.

“Karunanidhi systematically reduced the DMK to a family business by excluding everyone in the party, and then they indulged in corruption. What face can we show to the people?” says a distressed middle-level DMK leader.

“No corrupt act can get done in the state without Karunanidhi’s approval. That is clear now,” said Cho Ramaswamy, political analyst and the chief minister’s long-standing critic, in his first byte to TV reporters after the raids.

What’s next? With his trust in the Congress belied, Karunanidhi is in no position to take the first step to snap ties with the Congress to show his ire over the CBI raids. If he did so, it would appear he is doing it to stall CBI investigation.

At the same time, with the Congress high command playing a waiting game, he’s not sure that the alliance with his party stays till the elections. Since 2006, Karunanidhi has been depending on a rainbow coalition and the 30-odd Congress MLAs to prop up his minority government without sharing power with them.

Congress MLAs haven’t forgiven Karunanidhi for his deal with Sonia Gandhi to not allow any Congress leader to become a minister.

With a taint image, the Dravidian party is a loser for the Tamil Nadu Congress leaders. They would like their party high command to mull other options. While a section wants to join hands with Jayalalithaa, another wants to follow Rahul Gandhi’s line for other states: walk it alone. The Congress could tie up with parties like actor Vijaykanth’s DMDK, they say.

On the other hand, Jayalalithaa sees a win-win situation either way. Says AIADMK parliamentary party leader V Maitreyan, “Whether the Congress-DMK alliance stays or splits, we are emerging as the people’s choice in the next polls.” She hopes that the AIADMK will replace the DMK in the UPA government, perhaps after the TN polls.

AIADMK leaders reason that a split in anti-DMK votes, a possibility if the Congress goes it alone, suits their party. Jayalalithaa is trying to put up a front and may try to rope in Vijaykanth.

As for the UPA’s stability, the Congress managers are speaking of a “contingency plan” of taking the help of those who would not like a mid-term poll now and dissuade others from toppling the Manmohan Singh government.

Their calculation is that while some of their allies may think that the Congress is targeting them in the name of battling corruption to enable a Rahul Gandhi-led Congress to re-emerge in their states, the fight against sleaze is bound to earn brownies for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in the longer run.

DMK's dramatis personae in crisis hour

Source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com

DMDK bid to enter Guinness Book

SALEM: Seeking to enter the Guinness Book of World Records, actor-politician Vijaykanth's DMDK Sunday claimed to have organised "the biggest-ever" flex hoarding campaign with a length of 1,000 kms, stretching across Tamil Nadu.

Party flags and flex banners were erected along the roads from four different places leading to this town in western Tamil Nadu, a senior DMDK functionary said after Vijaykanth inaugurated the People Rights Retrieval Conference the Conference of the party.

DMDK youth wing leader L K Sudhish told reporters that the banner campaign was held from party headquarters in Chennai to the conference venue here, covering a distance of 350 km.
Source:http://expressbuzz.com

Advt. against AIADMK: DMDK nothing to do with it - Actor Vijayakanth disowns

Chennai, 09 January, (Asiantribune.com):

Vijauakanth.JPG
Vijayakanth
The actor turned politician and Desia Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) leader Vijayakanth has said that his party had nothing to do with an advertisement appeared in a Tamil evening on Friday criticizing the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam supremo Ms J Jayalalithaa.

"The advertisement had been issued with the intention that those opposed to the present DMK rule should not come together", Vijayakanth asserted.

In a statement here, he said his party leaders and cadre were issuing advertisements in newspapers in connection with a conference on “restoring the rights of the people,” at Salem on January 9.

The conference's objective was to oust the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government. Unexpectedly, an advertisement had been inserted in the evening in the names of DMDK leaders, in which the AIADMK leadership had been criticized.

The DMDK had nothing to do with the advertisement, Vijayakanth added.

It had been issued with the intention that those opposed to the present rule should not come together. The people would give a fitting lesson to those who gave the advertisement.

Fake advertisement

He further said that if the paper had carried the fake advertisement without knowing the truth, it should apologize immediately.

The party leaders whose names figured in it would identify those who gave the advertisement and initiate legal proceedings against them.

He said the party was conducting the conference with a clear mind. It would not, in anyway; help the DMK retain power in the State.

Source: Asian Tribune

Captain lambasts Karuna

SALEM: Throughout his lengthy speech at the DMDK party meet here, party chief Vijaykanth chose to aim his guns solely on Chief Minister Karunanidhi, preferring not to speak about any other leader or party.

“He is a liar, a cheat, a robber of the poor. He should be eliminated from the political scene,” said the DMDK chief, making some caustic personal remarks against the Chief Minister. “He is neither a rationalist or atheist nor a creative genius as he has made everyone believe, said Vijaykanth, quoting some examples.

Criticising the freebies given out by the DMK government, he said the economics behind such populist schemes was to pump back into his family the money gained from purchases of the freebie products on a mass scale.

Lashing out at the Chief Minister for his remarks that as long as the poor exist, the freebies will remain, Vijaykanth gave his own take, saying, “As long as Kalaignar rules, there will be poverty.”

The political part of his speech was confined to the oft-repeated blaming of the government for failure to contain inflation and online trading, inability to address concerns of Tamils in Sri Lanka, corruption at all levels, deterioration of law and order, increased crime rates, apathy on farmers’ woes and not living up to promises made on equal education for all.
Source:http://expressbuzz.com/

No party can come to power without DMDK, says Vijayakanth Read more: No party can come to power without DMDK, says Vijayakanth - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/No-party-can-come-to-power-without-DMDK-says-Vijayakanth/articleshow/7249978.cms#ixzz1AdlA5P57

SALEM: In a clear message to the principle opposition AIADMK, actor-politician Vijayakanth said no party can come to power in Tamil Nadu without aligning with his DMDK. Amid heightened expectations that he would formally announce the DMDK-AIADMK tie-up at a public meeting in Salem on Sunday, Vijayakanth merely said his priority was to oust Karunnaidhi's "corruption regime" in Tamil Nadu. As for alliance, he told party cadres, "leave the decision to me. I will take a decision without hurting your self respect and the future of your party." He said he would neither be a slave nor allow his partymen to be slaves to anybody.

He described the Karunanidhi regime in Tamil Nadu as the "most corrupt and anti-people" in the history of the state and promised followers that the DMDK would soon be a part of a winnable alliance that can protect the state from `family misrule'.

Addressing a public meeting as part of the state conference of the DMDK here, Vijayakanth made it clear that the party would not continue to contest elections on its own.

"Don't worry about the alliance. I will decide on it very soon keeping in mind the larger interests of the state. The priority is dislodging the DMK regime here,'' he said. The entire gathering, comprising thousands of party workers, raised their hands favouring an alliance that can dethrone the DMK government. The decision assumes significance in the backdrop of the DMDK polling 8 to 10 percent votes in the state assembly election in 2006 and Lok Sabha election in 2009. Giving clear indications that his party would prefer an alliance with AIADMK, the actor-turned politician did not utter a single word critical of the AIADMK leader J Jayalilithaa or her present allies. But he devoted the more than one and hour speech to attacking chief minister M Karunanidhi, who according to Vijayakanth was "the main enemy" of the state and its people.

Describing the ensuing assembly election as a "Dharma Yudh", Vijayakanth declared that nobody could rule the state without his party's support. He also made it clear that he would lead the fight against DMK "from the front". "I will forge an alliance keeping in mind of the self respect and future growth of the party very soon," he reiterated.

Read more: No party can come to power without DMDK, says Vijayakanth - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/No-party-can-come-to-power-without-DMDK-says-Vijayakanth/articleshow/7249978.cms#ixzz1AdlEAvAl

Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Captain Vijaykanth will Become the Chief Minister of TAMIL NADU?