Date:09/06/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/06/09/stories/2003060905660400.htm

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

DMK to raise Rs. 25 crores for LS poll campaign

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI June 8. Anticipating early elections to the Lok Sabha, a DMK meet of district secretaries held here today decided to raise Rs. 25 crores for poll expenditure.

``We are ready to face any election any time,'' the party president, M.Karunanidhi, told presspersons, when asked if the DMK was preparing for 2004 Lok Sabha elections. On whether the party expected Assembly elections to be held around the same time, he declined to comment. The term of the current Assembly ends only in 2006.

The need to shore up election funds came up for discussion also at the party's June 2 general council, which elected Mr.Karunanidhi for a record ninth time. Leaders reportedly conveyed to partymen that their main Opposition, the AIADMK, would spend more than 10 times planned by the DMK.

The party begins its mass contact programme, to be addressed by its senior leaders, to explain the decision of the general council with a series of meetings all over the State. This would kick-start the DMK's first round of campaign and assess the mood of the electorate. Mr. Karunanidhi would participate only in the inaugural meeting at Kancheepuram, on June 15, as he has been advised not to travel for a few months. The party general secretary, K.Anbazhagan, will address cadres in Coimbatore the same day, while the deputy general secretary, M.K.Stalin, begins his tour from Tiruvarur on June 16. Senior leaders will crisscross the State the entire month addressing meetings and assessing the functioning of the units.

Mr. Karunanidhi cited the travel restrictions imposed by his doctors as the reason for not going to Tiruchi to meet his jailed son, M.K.Azhagiri, who was arrested in connection with the murder of the former DMK Minister, T. Kiruttinan. The party was looking at the legal aspects of the charges against Mr. Azhagiri and would submit the original copy of "the third letter" to Mr. Karunanidhi in court.

`Advice of no use'

On the advice of the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, to delta farmers, Mr. Karunanidhi said the farmers were not trained in raising alternative crops. Besides, soil conditions were not conducive for the growth of cash crops. Also, neither the farmer nor the consumer would benefit from growing the crops. Instead, he suggested that the Centre look into the issue of water release into the Cauvery, as it was its duty to take care of the well being of all States.

Mr. Karunanidhi refused to comment on the issue of five of the accused in the Babri masjid demolition case claiming that the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, instigated them. But he reiterated that there was no change in DMK's stance on the masjid issue. ``We took a stand when it was demolished. We stand by that.''

The DMK had condemned the demolition of the masjid then and demanded steps to preserve the secular fabric of the country.

On the demand for Mr. Advani's resignation, he said it was the BJP's internal issue. On the reported tussle for the number one position between the Prime Minister, A.B.Vajpayee, and Mr. Advani, Mr. Karunanidhi said he could not comment merely on the basis of press reports.