MDMK will go ahead with poll plans: Vaiko

By M. R. Venkatesh

CHENNAI, APRIL 7. The MDMK general secretary, Mr.Vaiko, today asserted that his party would go ahead with its plans to contest in 213 of the 234 Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu, even as the NDA-initiated moves to bring about an MDMK-DMK rapproachment have hit a blind alley.

``We are going ahead with our plans and there is no change in that,'' Mr.Vaiko said in an informal chat with The Hindu here. Except for the 21 seats the BJP was contesting, the MDMK would field candidates in all constituencies, he said.

Playing down the significance of the NDA convener, Mr.George Fernandes's flying visit to Chennai as part of the Central leadership's efforts at ending the MDMK-DMK face-off, Mr.Vaiko claimed, ``George was here mainly to take rest and relax for a day.''

After the NDA's Bangalore rally, in which both participated, Mr.Fernandes thought that as he had to participate in another NDA rally at Vijayawada, going to Delhi along with the Prime Minister and returning in a day would be tedious and thus ``he came back with me to Chennai,'' said Mr.Vaiko.

Apparently, things have gone too far for both the parties, for any compromise formula to emerge now. ``I am running a political party,'' fumes Mr.Vaiko, emphasising that the MDMK's decision was taken after deep deliberations in response to the cadres' sentiments.

``Did not Mr.Karunanidhi say that once bitterness set in at the field level, it will not be possible for the cadres of both the parties to work together for the elections?'', Mr.Vaiko asked, and decried attempts to portray him (Vaiko) now as being ``unbending or obdurate''.

``We cannot kiss the leg that kicks us,'' reasoned another senior MDMK leader, referring to the DMK's attitude during the seat- sharing talks, particularly after Mr.Vaiko had in the last two months toured the State urging the people to bring back Mr.Karunanidhi as Chief Minister.

The MDMK's meetings in districts to raise funds for the elections were virtually political conferences, at which Mr.Vaiko gave so much prominence to the NDA and the DMK leader. ``Yet, we were led up the garden path,'' he regretted.

Candidates selection

With over 2500 applications having poured in from all parts of the State seeking party ticket, Mr. Vaiko said, the MDMK set up 30 panels whose members left for the districts assigned to them to interact with the aspirants and assess the situation.

The panel members after interviewing them would return to Chennai by April 10. The following three days the candidates

list would be finalised. It would be released along with the party's manifesto at the `Special Election Conference' in Coimbatore on April 14.

In the application forms, ticket-seekers were also asked to declare their current assets including immovable property.

As regards Pondicherry, the MDMK will contest 25 of the 30 seats in the Union Territory, leaving the five that has been allotted to the BJP by the DMK.

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