Revolt against M K Stalin

With M Karunanidhi worried about his favorite daughter Kanimozhi and M K Alagiri running for cover…Nowadays, the DMK's rising SON Stalin seems to be ruling the roost in the party. During the local body elections only M K Stalin’s loyalists were given a chance to contest at various levels. This despite deserving and winning candidate’s plea to contest elections fell on deaf years within the party. Sources say in many areas party men are extremely angry and dissatisfied with the state of affairs. Whispers doing rounds is that those who are dissatisfied and sidelined in the party are being kept under the surveillance of State intelligence. Sources say very soon they may be crossing the bridge…weather it will be Poes Garden or Vaiko's Thayagam is something that is yet to be confirmed. Is history repeating itself for the DMK?

T R Baalu in the Cabinet 

Looks like DMK Chief M Karunanidhi had just realized that how difficult it is for any politician to get things done at the National capital…this was the lesson he had learnt during his recent visit to Delhi. Even though he met the Prime Minister, UPA Chair Person Sonia Gandhi, Home Minister and Law Minister…but for a party like DMK that enjoyed utmost power at the center for over a decade is now seen as a political orphan. DMK MPs and other leaders have been reduced to a joke after the great 2G robbery. Getting an appointment from Prime Minister, Sonia Gandhi and even Sonia's Political Secretary Ahmed Patel seems to have become a herculean task for the DMK. With the two Cabinet Berths allotted for the DMK lying vacant...Whispers doing rounds is that after some realization and serious political calculations...The DMK Chief is now thinking about having at least one Cabinet berth filled…this is expected to happen after Kanimozhi is out on bail…sources say Karunanidhi has taken this decision so that they will have a strong person at the Center for lobbying. For the moment, T R Baalu is the only leader in the DMK who enjoys the blessings of both Kanimozhi and Raasathi Ammal. This is being done to ensure that some serious lobbying is done and Kanimozhi is out of the 2G mess by hook or crook. DMK insiders say a proposal in this regard will be sent by the DMK high command to the PM after Kanimozhi’s release from Tihar Jail.

Jaya likely to attend Guru Pooja

Whispers in Tamil Nadu was the first one to report  on how the State Intelligence department is making preparations for Jayalilathaa’s visit to Ramanathapuram for Guru Pooja…in Is there a rift in Tamil Nadu's Intelligence Wing. This after a team of Intelligence officials were sent to Ramanathupuram to gauge the mood of the public and ensure that the situation is under control. Whispers in Tamil Nadu had reported how this move by Intelligence DIG Pon.Manickavel had created a rift in the intelligence wing. 

Just 3 days ahead of Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar’s “Guru Pooja” another set of senior intelligence officials have been asked to camp at Ramanathapuram…and Jaya TV has received orders from Poes Garden to send its crew members for Guru Pooja coverage during Amma's visit. This despite State’s intelligence chief and DGP K.Ramanujam making it categorical that Chief Minister should not attend Thevar Guru Pooja as it could trigger more animosity between Dalit and Thevar communities in the wake of Paramakudi violence. But, Sasikala or her family members who belongs to the Thevar community are not willing to buy this argument…as Thevar community is AIADMK’s traditional vote bank. Sources also say, Jayalilathaa is very particular on attending Guru Pooja this time because of the bitter experience last year. Her convoy was stoned by DMK supporters when she visited Ramanathapuram for Guru Pooja…at that time an angry Jaya had vowed that she will visit Ramanathapuram for Guru Pooja only after becoming the Chief Minister.

Parithi Ilamvazuthi a traitor!

He was the dalit face of the party and a staunch loyalist of M Karunanidhi... even before A Raja became the poster boy of the DMK… DMK’s former deputy General Secretary Parithi Ilamvazhuthi, who resigned from the post just a few days back, has been shown the door by M K Stalin. For quite sometime there was a cold war between the DMK's rising son M K Stalin and Paruthi Ilamvazuthi over several issues…when things went out of control and Paruthi felt that he is being repeatedly humiliated by M K Stalin in the party... he decided to quit his post, and offered his resignation…hoping that the DMK Chief will intervene. Call it a stunt or a threat…but Parithi’s calculations miserably went wrong…Sources say though Karunanidhi wanted to meet Paruthi Ilamvazuthi in person and ask for his clarification…M K Stalin ensured that this meeting between the two never takes place. Sources say M K Stalin had complained to his father that being a senior functionary of the party Paruthi Ilamvazuthi did not send his resignation directly to the party HQ or the leader...but he had released it to the media which he considers as a huge embarrassment for the party. Whispers doing rounds in the DMK circles is that Stalin wanted his loyalist A K S Vijayan to be appointed as deputy General Secretary of the party – reason yet another voice to support him in the battle of succession. M K Stalin was actively seen lobbying for A K S Vijayan…but Karunanidhi, decided to appoint V P Duraisamy, who was the former deputy speaker. Now a shattered Paruthi Ilamvazuthi is all set to decide on his next course of action…will he be knocking the doors of Poes Garden?? Remains to be seen.

Captain develops cold feet

Whispers doing rounds is that DMDK leader Vijaykanth has developed cold feet after the outcome of the local body polls…Party leaders and functionaries from various districts have been summoned by Captain & Co to receive their share of dose. Also captain has formed a core group to keep a tab on his own MLA’s so that to ensure that they don’t jump the ship at any cost. Sources say that  Captain is so scared that his MLAs would be poached by the ruling party In fact, Captain has been meeting his MLAs in person to keep his flock together.  But sources say, intelligence wing is working overtime to take some pound of flesh from DMDK.

Low voter turnout – Whose gaining?

Amid a campaign that the local body elections will be marred by violence and booth capturing… much to the surprise of many it turned out to be a low-key affair…The biggest of all surprises is Chennai Corporation, that saw a voter turnout of just 48%. The past elections for Chennai Corporation has always seen brisk voting along with incidents of mass violence…but this time things were totally different and surprising not only for journalists but also for all the political parties. Including Chennai there was a lukewarm response for the political parties call.

Whiel the Tamil Nadu assembly elections which concluded in April 2011 saw a record turn out of 75 to 80%...and quite on expected lines the results proved the people’s anger against the then ruling DMK. Well, for other political parties it may be yet another election…but for Jayalilathaa it’s a litmus test for her 5 month rule in Tamil Nadu.  Sources say Jayalilathaa is quite disappointed with the numbers that have come out at the end of the day in the name of polling percentage…

Chief Minister has asked the State Intelligence to prepare a detailed report on why there was a low voter turnout and what are the reasons? …

Ever since elections were announced in the State…it was a low key affair…neither the poll campaign took off well for all the parties…nor the people were ready to listen to yet another set of fresh poll campaign’s and promises…

The State Intelligence that conducted a pre-poll survey…gave its report to the Chief Minister, that the campaign by the AIADMK members did not go too well with the people…that is why Jayalilathaa decided to hit the campaign trail its final stages…Whispers in Tamil Nadu had already reported on how Jaya’s camp was jittery ahead of the local body polls….

http://www.whispersintamilnadu.com/2011/10/is-aiadmk-camp-jittery.html

Despite desperate measures by the AIADMK the elections turned out to be a low key affair…does this mean that the people are not so enthused about Amma’s five month rule?? Political analysts say there could be more than one reason…

The bad publicity attracted by Jayalilathaa’s government in the obstinate handling of the Samacheer Kalvi issue by keeping the students without any syllabus or books for more than a month till the apex court’s verdict…this has highly irritated the parents as well as teachers.  

The brutal police firing and killing of 6 persons in Paramakudi and Jaya’s subsequent stand justifying the police action by calling it a caste clash has also not gone down well with the people of southern districts…particularly Dalits across the State.

The way Jayalilathaa treated her allies has also made people to lose interest in the local polls.  During the Assembly elections when Jaya released the candidates list even as talks were going on with alliance partners…it created a flutter in Tamil Nadu politics…but then she said its was a human error and the list was released without her consent. But this time too Jayalilathaa adopted the same strategy to dump her allies…making it clear that she is still arrogant. So people came to a foregone conclusion that Jayalalitha ditched her allies only with game plan to win the elections using government machinery…and many of them saw the polling day as holiday and were busy in Diwali shopping. Was going it alone in the elections considered as Jaya’s biggest mistake??

Arresting DMK’s key personalities under land grab act is slowly taking the form of witch hunt.  Jayalalitha filing disproportionate assets case against former DMK Ministers while she herself is facing an asset case in Bengaluru also remains as a thorn in the flesh.

While all these factors are loaded against Amma, the DMK is reeling under the onslaught of a barrage of cases against its leaders.  While the DMK Supremo is not able campaign actively, it was left out to its second level leaders to take the responsibility.   Most of the second level leaders are facing police action one way or other.   In fact, K.N.Nehru, who was out of prison on the last day of his campaigning chose to be in Chennai rather than use the last day for campaigning in the Trichy bye-poll.

Further DMK is yet wriggle out of the 2G Scam as two of its prominent leaders cool their heels in Tihar with no hope of coming out of jail in the near future…and Just days ahead of the polling Kalanidhi and Dayanidhi Maran were raided by the CBI in the 2G case….

But the major factor in favour of the DMK is its strong vote bank, which is intact in spite of the huge anti-incumbency wave.  

The low turn out of voters in Tamil Nadu only goes to prove that the battle is equally poised and not in favour of anyone.  With just one more phase to go, it appears that it’s not a cake walk for Amma…as she is still expecting...