CUDDALORE: The votes of government employees and teachers greatly influenced the verdict in the just concluded Assembly elections, the State president of the Tamil Nadu Government Employees' Union (TNGEU), K. Balasubramanian, has said.

Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, Mr. Balasubramanian said that it had improved the poll percentage more than ever, resulting in the change of government. In fact, the postal ballots made the difference in a considerable number of the constituencies. The number of postal ballots ranged from 180 to 1,500 in each constituency and this tilted the balance against AIADMK candidates (in 17 constituencies the winning margin ranged from just 14 to 964).

He said in the past five years government employees and teachers were subjected to all sorts of harassment. The government machinery remained paralysed for quite some time, hampering the implementation of welfare schemes.

The bitter experience prompted government employees and teachers to vote out the AIADMK rule.

Administrative reform

The TNGEU president noted that it was unfortunate that the heads of certain departments had become the handmaids of some political parties. The onus was on the Karunanidhi regime to weed them out.

He hoped that all the constituents of the Democratic Progressive Alliance would fulfil the promises spelt out in their manifestos.

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