Timely help by TN ministers
According to the various surveys held in Tamil nadu,One thing is sure. If AIAdMK is going to win the election then that is because of timely help provided by the ministers during tsunami and floods. Women Self help team Plan, which benefits the women in rural area have created a mass popular figure to the chief minister, the people had forgot what has happened on last four years, they are realizing only the benefit they dervied from the present government.
G Rajalakshmi
HR-executive
Chennai
Rebel candidates capture the opportunity
Congress led ruling coalition in election hit kerala is facing uphill task to withdraw the candidature of rebel candidates from many constituencies. Rebels who had aspired for the party tickets and were denied tickets sees this as the opportunity to win big tickets in party. Coalition leaders who are in the damage control excersise to withdraw rebels from the fray are offering posts in the party to withdraw from the contest. This has yielded results so far. Rebel cadidature is not only the phenominon in the ruling camp but also with opposition left front. But they are taking much strict approach in order to deal the rebels in the fray.
Juttas Paul
Freelancer
Kerala
BJP could gain in Upper Assam
In the first phase of election, the ruling congress willl get about 25 to 30 seat. where as main oposition AGP will get 11 to 16 seats. According to Asomiya Khabar, a leading daily from Assam, in the first phase of election about 68% of total voter cast there vote for 65 constitutencies. The leading daily Khabar said that BJP will get 6 to 11 seats only. The newspaper also predict that the president of Assam unit of Congress Mr Bhubneswar Kalita will be one of the losser for Congress. In the first phase of a election BJP show good work in Upper Assam. in the 2001 election BJP gots only 2 seats in Brahmaputra vally. But this time BJP will gain and the party will get prestigious East Guwahati seat also.
Monimala Gogoi
Sub-editor
Guwahati
Story behind Ghani Khan's illness
The Malda district congress stalwart Gani Khanchoudhury fell seriously ill on Sunday night and was taken to the Woodlands nursing home in south kolkata on Monday. He compained of pain in the lower abdomen.His blood pressure was also high.
Does the illness have some thing to do with the announcement of names of candidates for the remaining 96 seats including Ratua in Malda district on Monday?
The seat had become a bone of contention between him and central congress minister Priyaranjan Dasmunshi. While Khan choudhury wanted his favourite Samar Choudhury to get the ticket, Dasmunshi was hellbent on making his loyalist Asit Bose the official candidate from Ratua.The things had come to such a pass that Ghani Khan had threatened to withdraw all the candidates from the district if his nominee was not given ticket. The congress high command had tried to soften his stand but he didnt budge.
However, at last it was Dasmunshi who had the last laugh as his candidate Asit Bose got the ticket.
This is seen as a victory for Dasmunshi who cashed his proximity to the high command and state President Pranab Mukherjee.
Ghani Khan had learnt of the party's decision in advance and had felt humiliated at the defeat.Ghani Khan has been calling the shot in the political affairs of the district and his defeat at the hands of Priya has left him redfaced. This presumably affected his already failing health.
Sohail Arshad
Freelance journalist
Kolkata
My leaders
How can our leaders change their convictions and beliefs just for few seats? Mdmk's new alliance with AIADMK is disgusting to say the least, In spite of my staunch support to AIADMK and my belief that Hindu baiter Karunanidhi does not deserve better and his dream of becoming the chief minister again will remain only dream.
But this new alliance taunts me and the leaders have assumed that I am a complete idiot and vote them to power even though they change their ideology and convictions for the sake of power.
I mean, how you can you support a leader whom you have fought tooth and nail till yesterday. How can you face the same leader against whom you have used the choicest abuse? How can you support a leader whit whom you had major policy difference, and you till yesterday blamed for corruption and mismanagement of almost every thing in the state? How?
I mean will you kill, for the sake of power, will you support a criminal if he will catapult you to the chief ministers gaddi or a plum post.
Shameless and disgusting is the new political arrangement between Vaiko and Madam Jayalalitha. Do they think I am a fool that I will vote them to power in spite of their contrast beliefs till yesterday?
Madhu Shetty
Business
Coimbatore
No development agenda in Tamil Nadu
With the elections in state of tamil nadu around the corner, the heat is picking up. Many political parties are in fray, but in Tamil Nadu there are only two which count i.e. of the Dravidian movement, AIADMK and DMK. There is not much difference betweeen them on the ground.Both preach the same philosophy,both have the same cadre stregth. The differences are not visible.
There seems to be no new agenda also. Both are going all out to woo the rural and urban poor. Most remarkable is their utmost neglect of urban dwellers. No one seems to care if there are not enough facilities, poor state of infrastructures, water problems, poor roads, increasing incidence of crimes,etc.
Somebody promises colour TV toe ach Household (am sure one of their party member will get the contract for this mammoth excercise), or rice at Rs 2/- per Kg.
Being a north Indian, I do have a very skewed view of the goings on here.
This state does not lack anything.You name a resource and these people have it. They were never affected by any kind of invasions or droughts or floods except for the recent Tsunami which just affected their coastline. But inspite of this rich natural bounty inherited in this land, they have not been able to capitalise on it.
This becomes all the more apparent when you sees what is happening in election campaign.Not one party has outlined a development agenda.As if it really does not concern them. Well that is democracy for you.
Anshu
Student
Chennai
Only practical issues will matter
The mood at the Vadavalli assembly, Coimbatore district is upbeat. All the parties are indulging in distributing gifts such as saree, lungi etc. to the local public. With DMK holding a firm hand in this assembly, it seems AIADMK is not going to let it go this time. Promises of good street, water and electricity are made. Public is much concerned with the rising price of commodiites, this issue will have to be sooner or later addressed by the political parites who are presently using Caste & Minority appeasement politics. The fact appears that people are more concerned with economical issues rather than useless appeasement policy. So the votes may go to those parties which raise issues regarding current state economy. Campaign gets heated up if a film star for a particular party gives speeches with every rival party trying to rope in some or the other South Indian filmstars.But at the end of the day only practical issues will matter.
Kunal M Momaya
Software Engineer
Coimbatore