The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Voter mood clearly in favour of DPA, says Vasan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 16, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Voter mood clearly in favour of DPA, says Vasan

Staff Reporter

"Bypoll outcome will be an indicator"

MADURAI: Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president G. K. Vasan on Sunday said the poll observers had to intervene and restrain the anti-voter tactics resorted to by the AIADMK in the Kancheepuram and Gummidipoondi bypolls on Saturday. But, the mood of the voters was clearly favouring the Democratic Progressive Alliance, he said.

Pointing out that electronic voting machines (EVMs) were used in the bypolls, he wondered why Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, who had alleged irregularities in the EVMs during the Parliamentary elections, had not gone to the court to challenge the people's verdict. "We have strong reasons to believe that the DPA will win the byelections since the voters are bitter with the anti-people policies of the Government."

Parrying questions on whether the outcome would be an indicator to the ensuing Assembly election, Mr. Vasan said the DPA's clean sweep in the Lok Sabha elections had already set the trend.

Mr. Vasan expressed concern over the deteriorating financial stability of cooperative banks in the State. Though the Government had promised to conduct elections soon after dissolving cooperative societies in 2001, they were not held even after four years. The prolonged administration of cooperative societies through Special Officers would defeat the basic principles of the cooperative movement.

He alleged that the Government was not distributing the Centre's funds for rural development to the panchayats. "The AIADMK regime is a stumbling block for the development of infrastructure in rural areas."

Referring to the reserved panchayats of Keeripatti, Pappapatti and Nattamangalam in Madurai district where elections could not be held for many years now, Mr. Vasan said it was unfortunate that the stalemate continued. He said the Congress would take the initiative to establish harmony among the people in the three panchayats.

The party functionaries would begin a week-long campaign on May 22 to propagate the achievements of the United Progressive Alliance Government during the last one year.

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