Date:08/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/08/stories/2009010853020500.htm

Tamil Nadu - Madurai

‘Thirumangalam verdict will bring about national-level change’

Staff Reporter

MADURAI: The Thirumangalam by-election will bring about a change not only in State politics but also at the national level, and people of the constituency should vote on January 9 bearing this in mind, said All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary Jayalalithaa here on Tuesday.

Winding up her four-day election campaign in the constituency, she exuded the confidence that the AIADMK would come to power in the State by the end of 2009.

Listing “failures” of the DMK government, she said Chief Minister Karunanidhi was more bothered about his family than the people.

Alleging that the law and order had deteriorated, she said the movement of members of terrorist organisations, including the LTTE, was on the rise and the police were not under the control of the Chief Minister. Tamil Nadu was turning into a Jammu and Kashmir.

Ms. Jayalalithaa alleged that many DMK Ministers had “encroached upon the land of poor people.”

Her first action after returning to power would be to retrieve these and hand them back to the original owners.

She wondered why Mr. Karunanidhi, while addressing a public meeting here on Monday, failed to clarify on the spectrum deal, murder of former Minister T. Kiruttinan, attack on the Dinakaran office in Madurai and release of life convicts involved in the murder of Madurai Corporation councillor Leelavathi.

Schemes promised

Ms. Jayalalithaa promised many development schemes for the constituency, including a jasmine essential-oil factory, a new dam to cater for the rain-fed areas of Kalligudi Union, modernisation of the Thirumangalam government hospital, expansion of the Thirumangalam bus stand and underground drainage for the town.

Alleging that the DMK planned to distribute half sovereign gold coins to voters, she asked the people to happily accept them and vote for her candidate M. Muthuramalingam.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary, N. Varadarajan, justified the alliance with the AIADMK, saying that it was firmed up in order to form an alternative to the Congress and the BJP.

Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary Vaiko said the people’s court should pass its verdict on the murder of T. Kiruttinan. CPI State secretary D. Pandian said the DMK had turned political orphan due to “bad governance.”