05-13-2009, 02:13 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Sonia faces rout in TN</b>
pioneer.com
Swati Das | Chennai
Flip-flops, price rise, internal feuds may upset Cong plans
The Congress is headed for rout in Tamil Nadu, which goes to poll on Wednesday. Of the 40 seats, including the lone Union Territory seat of Puducherry, the <b>Congress is expected to get just two to three seats</b>. In 2004, the Congress had all the 10 seats it contested, excluding Puducherry.
At stakes is the fate of some key persons â Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, Union Panchayati Raj Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar, MoS for Textiles EVKS Elangovan, MoS for Planning and Parliament affairs V Narayanasamy (Puducherry) and TNCC president K V Thangkabalu.
While Narayansamy is expected to sail through because of the strong Congress base, other Congress stalwarts in Tamil Nadu are riding a leaking boat. Chidambaram is finding the going tough, even with Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhiâs campaigning for him. If he wins, it would be by a slender margin.
Slightly better than Chidambaram is Tiruchy Mayor Sarubala R Thondaimanâs position, as both the DMK and Congress are strong in the constituency. She also had the benefit of both Rahul Gandhi and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi campaigning for her. Another hope for the Congress is KS Alagiri in Cuddalore who is said to be doing well against AIADMKâs MC Sampath. However, Aiyar and Elangovan could be placed in the doubt list.
What has hit the Congress is the anti-incumbency factor. Inflation has affected every home and the cost of essential food items does not seem to reduce. Even on the eve of the election vegetable prices were scorching. The party tried to project the âsuccessâ of State and Central Government schemes. But they had no effect.
Lack of adequate development in the constituencies and factionalism in the party has also contributed to their lagging prospects. They are also no more in an alliance that has the numbers. The DMK-led alliance has lost the two Communist parties, MDMK and the PMK to AIADMK side. All said and done alliance arithmetic rules Tamil Nadu elections. Going by the number of alliance partners (and their vote share), AIADMK side seems to have a clear edge.
The confusion over Sonia Gandhiâs visit and Rahul Gandhiâs comment that Congress options were open for likeminded persons like Jayalalithaa again had a negative impact on the partyâs prospects, though on Sunday Sonia and Karunanidhi tried to project a united front. Even the DMK would have to work hard.
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Rice policy the State Government (Re 1 per kg) was eclipsed by the spiralling costs of other essential food items. The rice distributed under the Re 1 scheme, though well received, the quality remains poor in most areas. People land up spending Rs 25-40 a kilo for better rice, while the Re 1 rice get sold in black outside ration shops. Other issues include drinking water, sea erosion, infrastructure, tsunami relief and irregularities in implementation of Government schemes. The campaign seemed to be an extension of 2006 Assembly election. Money power played a key role.
....
<b>The BJP has formed an alliance with some smaller parties, while Vijayakantâs DMDK is fighting alone in all the 40 seats. The BJP is likely to pick up Kanyakumari seat and do well in Ramanathapuram.</b>
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pioneer.com
Swati Das | Chennai
Flip-flops, price rise, internal feuds may upset Cong plans
The Congress is headed for rout in Tamil Nadu, which goes to poll on Wednesday. Of the 40 seats, including the lone Union Territory seat of Puducherry, the <b>Congress is expected to get just two to three seats</b>. In 2004, the Congress had all the 10 seats it contested, excluding Puducherry.
At stakes is the fate of some key persons â Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, Union Panchayati Raj Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar, MoS for Textiles EVKS Elangovan, MoS for Planning and Parliament affairs V Narayanasamy (Puducherry) and TNCC president K V Thangkabalu.
While Narayansamy is expected to sail through because of the strong Congress base, other Congress stalwarts in Tamil Nadu are riding a leaking boat. Chidambaram is finding the going tough, even with Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhiâs campaigning for him. If he wins, it would be by a slender margin.
Slightly better than Chidambaram is Tiruchy Mayor Sarubala R Thondaimanâs position, as both the DMK and Congress are strong in the constituency. She also had the benefit of both Rahul Gandhi and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi campaigning for her. Another hope for the Congress is KS Alagiri in Cuddalore who is said to be doing well against AIADMKâs MC Sampath. However, Aiyar and Elangovan could be placed in the doubt list.
What has hit the Congress is the anti-incumbency factor. Inflation has affected every home and the cost of essential food items does not seem to reduce. Even on the eve of the election vegetable prices were scorching. The party tried to project the âsuccessâ of State and Central Government schemes. But they had no effect.
Lack of adequate development in the constituencies and factionalism in the party has also contributed to their lagging prospects. They are also no more in an alliance that has the numbers. The DMK-led alliance has lost the two Communist parties, MDMK and the PMK to AIADMK side. All said and done alliance arithmetic rules Tamil Nadu elections. Going by the number of alliance partners (and their vote share), AIADMK side seems to have a clear edge.
The confusion over Sonia Gandhiâs visit and Rahul Gandhiâs comment that Congress options were open for likeminded persons like Jayalalithaa again had a negative impact on the partyâs prospects, though on Sunday Sonia and Karunanidhi tried to project a united front. Even the DMK would have to work hard.
..............
Rice policy the State Government (Re 1 per kg) was eclipsed by the spiralling costs of other essential food items. The rice distributed under the Re 1 scheme, though well received, the quality remains poor in most areas. People land up spending Rs 25-40 a kilo for better rice, while the Re 1 rice get sold in black outside ration shops. Other issues include drinking water, sea erosion, infrastructure, tsunami relief and irregularities in implementation of Government schemes. The campaign seemed to be an extension of 2006 Assembly election. Money power played a key role.
....
<b>The BJP has formed an alliance with some smaller parties, while Vijayakantâs DMDK is fighting alone in all the 40 seats. The BJP is likely to pick up Kanyakumari seat and do well in Ramanathapuram.</b>
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