The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : TN results significant in numbers game

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 12, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

TN results significant in numbers game

By V. Jayanth

CHENNAI, MAY 11. The voters have spoken, but it will take one more day for the results to convey their message. Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), where the electorate have recorded their preference, lie sealed and secure in strong rooms at the designated counting centres. The counting will begin on Thursday morning and the results are expected by afternoon.

It was a welcome break for the candidates to get a breather before the counting day, as there has been an unusually long campaign period this time. Except in constituencies where there is limited repoll tomorrow, the candidates have to cool their heels till early Thursday morning.

There are 39 seats at stake in Tamil Nadu and one in Pondicherry. After the rout of the BJP-TDP alliance in the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu acquires significance in the numbers game in the 14th Lok Sabha.

Here, the AIADMK-BJP combine is not likely to give the NDA much comfort. Though two exit polls have given the ruling partners five and eight seats in their forecast yesterday, analysts think it will be less. And the BJP-led alliance at the Centre will find it impossible to make up for such a loss in these two States, which contributed over 50 seats last time.

On the AIADMK front, there was a deafening silence. Some of the anxious candidates were left wondering what was in store. The more confident partners of the Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) have started planning for the future. Though their leaders were more immediately concerned about the shooting incident in the Sivakasi parliamentary constituency, in which the MDMK candidate escaped unhurt, they have begun to think seriously of the road ahead at the Centre.

The DMK president, M. Karunanidhi, has convened a meeting of DPA leaders tomorrow to discuss the polling, the problems, the projected results and the joint strategy they could adopt once the results are out and the party positions become clear. They are clear in their minds that they have a major role to play in any government formation and individually they insist that none of them is planning to quit the Congress-led "secular front".

Tomorrow's DPA meeting, alliance sources noted, was another clear signal on the "close cooperation and coordination among the constituents" in sharp contrast to the AIADMK-BJP front. State Government sources indicated that the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, was likely "to take a break" after the hectic 40-odd days of campaign. She is likely to work out the ruling party's strategy both in the short and medium term. A session of the Assembly is due to complete the consideration of the budget. This is now expected to take place in June, when the temperatures cool down after the elections and government formation.

There was celebration in the State Congress headquarters, Satyamurthi Bhavan. The TNCC president, G.K. Vasan, was at hand to lead the celebrations over the party's landslide victory in the election to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly. There was bursting of crackers and distribution of sweets to mark the occasion.

"The Andhra Pradesh verdict is an indication of things to come. The people want a change. They have voted against the economic policies of the BJP and the TDP. The mood is for the formation of a secular government at the Centre," Mr. Vasan said.

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