Home > Assembly Elections 2006 > Citizens' Report
April 25, 2006
Tamil Nadu
Vijayakanth has to wait patiently
These are opinions of people in this state. I have listed them:
1) The people want ADMK to return to power as they believe she has done a lot of good for the people. It is true that the ruling party has done a lot of good for the people. The reason like boldly opposing persons or organisations who affect the proceedings of the government. I feel that Jayalalithaa has good popularity.
2) This is that they feel DMK should come to power because they feel that since they have Union ministers in the party they could do a lot to the state with also chief minister hailing from the same party.
3) This is that they are bored of both the Dravidian parties. And some of them prefer Vijayakanth of DMDK who is a popular actor in the rural areas. People feel that through his clever administration he was able to settle the loans of the Nadigar Sangam (Tamil Film Actors' Union).
My opinion is that DMK and ADMK are both cats on the wall. In ADMK Jayalalithaa is the only popular person in most of the places of the state. In DMK Karunanithi, Stalin including a lot of perons are popular in tha state.
They will have a tough competition between them.Victory to any one of the DMK-led parties or ADMK led parties will be a narrow one. Sri Vijayakanth is slowly getting popularity. He has to wait patiently for his party to gain popularity and rule the state.
People's mentality cannot be judged on the day of elections. As most of the Tamil Nadu residents are staying away from their places. Furthersome peple are too lazy as they just enjoy the government holiday. They don't care whoever comes to power. This has to change.At least 90 per cent of the people should vote.
Duruvak Kumar V S
Student
Sheer Desperation
The above mentioned people are showing sheer desperations by blaming the DMK and its alliance almost each and every day. The DMK on the other hand, doesn't blame ADMK and combine rather. This shows the maturity of a well behaved and dignified party. Sarath Kumar, should have resigned from the MP post at least 2 to 3 years back, and joined ADMK, if he was so concerned about self-respect and feeling of being slave.
He has enjoyed all facilities and just as his MP post expires in 2 months, he resigns and now he is just blabbering and says whatever he wants to as he couldnt quote any valid reasons. He is not a true representer of Nadar community. He is using the caste as a shield. When he says, he left DMK for self respect, why should he join ADMK?
Everyone in the world knows that Amma runs the govt with 234 dummies and they stand on their knees 24 x 7 x 365 in front of Amma, however old they are than Amma. Well, if someone wants to be treated like the most obedient dog, it is his fate. Poor Sarath and Radhika! What else we could say! It is an election manifesto and we can imagine the nature of Jayalalithaa by just one single attitude.
Her party allies, ridiculing the DMK announced scheme of quality rice at Rs 2 per kg, shouting that Karunanidhi is cheating the people. And Jayalalithaa, announcing that she is giving 10 kg free rice, if people buy 10 kgs rice at Rs 3.50. This is the biggest Joke of the Year.
ADMK is already in power, they could have given this during their regime. They have not done that. Just because Karunanidhi announced, Jayalalithaa is desparate and announced free rice which actually is not free. People are already paying 3.50 per kg. Also, people who spend 35 rupees for 10 kg as announced by Jayalalithaa, are spending only 20 rupees for 10 kg and the balance of Rs 15 Kg they can use to buy some provisions.
So, Jayalalithaa is the one who cheats people of TN and Vaiko, Thiruma, Sarath Kumar hails this cheating by supporting. Do we need this anti-people government? No!!!
Subramanian
Business Development
No positive vote so far for DMK
After MGR was dismissed from DMK in 1971, DMK is still searching to get an affirmative mandate for the party from the electorate. A study so far. 1967 General elections swept by DMK, architect C.N.Anna Durai & matinee idol MGR.1971 Elections swept by DMK, since, alliance with Indira Gandhi that was vote for Indira Gandhi.
1977 AIADMK led by MGR trounced DMK. 1980 DMK Alliance swept the LOK SABHA polls, clear mandate for Indira Gandhi. 980 Within few months Assembly election AIADMK won the elections hands down. 1984 same results. 1989 re-emergence of DMK because of MGR's death and vertical split in AIADMK (not a positive vote for the DMK)(combine votes polled by AIADMK both the factions were more).
1991 AIADMK back to power under new-found leader J.Jayalalithaa DMK trounced again.1996 DMK came back to power not because of their policy. It was Positive vote for Moopanar and Rajinikanth.2001 in spite of tall claims of performance, DMK was again trounced by the AIADMK in the assembly polls. 2004 LOK SABHA polls, DMK decimated AIADMK by winning all the seats contested.
It was a vote for Congress and Sonia Gandhi and also to negate BJP claim India shining when it was really not. 2006 the DMK opportunistic association is pitted against AIADMK DMK only enjoys Anti-JJ votes; not a majority who votes for,admires DMK for their overvalued attainment.
It is simply spite against JJ.H onestly it is not Tamil Nadu which has been benefited out of DMK, on the contrary it has been only KK family which has amassed wealth to the tune of several thousand crores.
Voters from the rural areas are saner, they are not foolish. Going by this and the absence of any alternate concrete leadership in the DMK allaince other than KK, AIADMK should be a clear winner in this election. Arithmetic will take plunge.
Suresh Krishnaa
Business
Kerala
The writing's on the wall
Assembly elections in Kerala is in 3 phases, for the first time in the history of the state. As it is the peak time, the result is a usual conclusion for the onlookers, since the state had a famous history of changing the government after each 5 years. The predictions of opinion polls also confirm that the LDF is leading towards a comeback to power.
The comeback of DIC of Karunakaran, as a coilation partner is not increased the chances of ruling UDF. In many places the DIC-Congress alliance still not able to sort out the problems between them. UDF is placing before the people the issue of development and says that the rule of LDF will spoil the development, the LDF focus on the issue of corruption of UDF governance, woes of agriculture field and social unrest.
Many parties and social groups like PDP, Jamameth Islami, SNDP etc who support UDF in last election, this time supports the LDF, which increases its chances. Achuthananthan, the leader of LDF, who will be the next chief minister candidate, enjoys mass support from all sections of people, which clearly shown in the opinion polls, placing him far ahead than any other contestant.
When CPM decided to not allow him to contest in the elections in last month, the state witnessed mass protests and rallies supporting him, which was first in the history of the state. This forced the party to change its decision. When Kerala moves to polls, the writing is on the wall, giving clear indication that which side have the wind in their favour.
Bency Mohan G
Civil Engineer
Real losers are the people
First phase of polling for 59 constituencies covering six southern districts in Kerala is over and campaigning for second and third phase is in its peak. All exit polls result predict win for LDF with comfortable majority.
The tendency for the last couple of decades in the state is that no political party could come to power consecutively for a second term. All chances are there for Achuthanandan to become the next Chief Minister of the state(it makes easy for him as his arch-rival within the party Pinarayi Vijayan is not contesting in this election).
Now the question is how such a man who is stalwartly against the globalisation, liberalisation and privatisation (these processes have become reality today), bring development to the state? Achuthanandan is known as the leader of weaker and underprivileged sections in the state. How can he bring development to such section of the state avoiding private participation in various developmental projects?
Latest example: LDF in general and CPI-M in particular are against the Smart City project at Kochi which was to be promoted by a Dubai based firm, creating employment for tens of thousands of youths in IT sector in the state. LDF claims it as a real estate business and sees no benefit for the state. The reality is different that there is no scope for CPI-M to forge labour force in IT sector and bring it to CITU label.
Left parties dislike capitalism and they forget that capital and capitalism are two sides of a coin and imperative for development of a state. Achuthanandan once proclaimed that thousands of hectors of land are illegally possessing by Tata group at Munnar. What is reality?
They are providing employment to thousands of people in Tata Tea. Tatas not going to take our land to Bombay House (Tatas headquarters). When UDF government gone for ADB loan for various projects, LDF very strongly protected it stating that the terms & conditions for sanctioning loans to the state are against the interest of the state. Now, after elections for local bodies in last September, LDF came into power in almost all corporations of the state and CPI-M, who are heading the corporations have gone for ADB loan for various projects. Now CPI-M tells the terms & conditions of ADB is not against the interest of the state.
After all, politics is a trick for poll and swell the pockets. Candidates never lose, they will get any office of profit even if they fail in the election but the real loser are people.
Premanath P V
Secretary
West Bengal
Hats off to EC
Am a resident of north Howrah. All the previous 5-6 elections in North Howrah have been marred by violence and rampant booth capturing and intimidating of voters. But the way these elections are being conducted is a sea change.
There is absolutely no violence, no one scaring the voters, not a single sound of a bomb (which we were so used to in all the earlier elections). After a gap of many elections, my family and I have been able to exercise our franchise.
Hats off to the EC for this.
Pawan Lohia
Chartered Accountant