The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Winds of change sweeping Tamil Nadu: Brinda Karat

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Monday, Apr 04, 2011
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Tamil Nadu

Winds of change sweeping Tamil Nadu: Brinda Karat

A.V. Ragunathan

— Photo: B. Velankanni Raj

Determined:CPI (M) leader Brinda Karat addressing an election campaign at Thevur in Keezhvelur constituency, Nagapattinam district, on Sunday.

CHIDAMBARAM: The Election Commission should be wary that the “Thirumangalam formula,” exposed through the WikiLeaks (and published in The Hindu), does not get replicated in the Assembly elections, according to Brinda Karat, MP and Politburo member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

“It is not just sufficient that the poll observers keep a close watch on the public meetings of the parties but they should go to the bastis (slums) to check the distribution of money and liquor after 10 p.m.,” she said while canvassing support for the party candidate K. Balakrishnan at a public rally held here on Saturday.

Ms. Karat further said that even if the ruling party cadres flood the State with money and liquor, as ordained in the Thirumangalam formula, the people were determined to end the DMK regime in the next 10 days.

She said that a vote was not a licence to loot, and, with a mission to end the plundering of public money by the current dispensation nine parties had come together in the AIADMK-led front.

She discerned winds of change sweeping Tamil Nadu as the people had come to realise that the elections provided an opportunity to dislodge the corrupt rulers and to convey a distinct message to the Centre to change its anti-people policies.

She alleged that the Congress and the DMK were indulging in doublespeak, striking a totally different posture on the election platform (promising to contain inflation) from their docile acceptance of the Cabinet decision (to enhance taxes and prices of petroleum products).

Ms. Karat said that like the peels of the onion, scams relating to 2G spectrum, Common Wealth Games, Adarsh housing project in Maharashtra and the real estate deals in Chennai were surfacing one after another.

She alleged that the present dispensation seemed to be keen on self-aggrandisement rather than alleviating the sufferings of the farmers, fishermen and weavers. U. Vasuki, Central Committee member, translated her speech. Arunmozhi Thevan, sitting AIADMK MLA,participated.

She also addressed an election rally at Keezhvelur in Nagapattinam district.

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