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ELECTIONS '96

Moopanar blames it on Coimbatore blasts

Tamil Maanila Congress leader G K Moopanar on Tuesday attributed his front's debacle to the serial bomb blasts in Coimbatore on election eve, and the people's desire for a stable government at the Centre.

The TMC had contested the election in alliance with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

Moopanar said the people believed the Bharatiya Janata Party alone could provide a stable government as the 'performance' of the United Front government in the last 10 months had belied their hopes. He said the UF had been given two chances -- but it failed to live up to expectations both times.

The people had voted mainly on the issue of stability at the centre; but this did not mean they had ignored the corruption charges against All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam supremo J Jayalalitha.

Moopanar did not agree with a suggestion that the DMK-TMC combine was perceived as being soft towards Islamic fundamentalists.

Answering another question, he said he had expected that it would be a tought fight in seven or eight constituencies, but never imagined the party would fare so badly. Sure wins had been expected in Madurai, Ramanathapuram, Tiruchirapalli, Dindigul, Palani, Krishnagiri, Arakkonam, Cuddalore and Rasipuram.

Asked whether he would help in the formation of a Congress-UF coalition government at the Centre, Moopanar retorted: "What can I do. Do I have the seats? The issue has to be decided by the leaders of various parties."

Moopanar said the alliance with the DMK continued. "Do you want me to join the AIADMK?" he asked.

Victories and defeats, he said, were common in a democracy. "When we left the Congress and formed the TMC, we never thought we would win all the seats we contested. Likewise, the DMK, which was out of power for 14 years, staged a comeback, and the AIADMK front which drew a blank in the last election has emerged victorious."

Elections '98

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