Election to local bodies: Momentum yet to pick up

By V. Jayanth

CHENNAI, SEPT. 6 With the Supreme Court hearing in the Public Interest Litigations challenging Ms. Jayalalithaa's appointment as Chief Minister hogging the limelight, the proposed elections to the local bodies next month has not yet engaged the attention of the political parties.

The DMK has convened a special meeting on Sunday to discuss the elections, but given the electric atmosphere that has now enveloped the State, the September 9 meeting may be more pre- occupied with political developments.

Similarly, the BJP has convened its State executive at Mayiladuthurai this week end to chalk out its strategy for the local bodies poll. Party sources say it will concentrate on identifying areas where it should stake a claim for a ``due share'' in the seats and posts. The Left parties too have initiated internal discussions on the October 16/18 elections and stressed the need to continue with the secular front that won handsomely in the May Assembly elections. Soon after the TMC leader G. K. Moopanar passed away, the Chief Minister and AIADMK general secretary, Ms. Jayalalithaa, also expressed a similar sentiment, describing it as Moopanar's `last wish'.

Though the political parties are beginning to take stock of the situation to plan for the polls, some of the opposition leaders still believe that the elections will be put off under the one pretext or the other. Some objections to the use of the same voter list adopted for the Assembly elections with largescale deletion of names, have also come in.

But the State Election Commissioner, Mr. P. S. Pandyan, has asserted that the October elections would be held as scheduled and they were a `constitutional requirement'.

Only yesterday, the Government expressed its preference to revert to the `two-tier panchayat raj system', which was in vogue earlier. But that needs a constitutional amendment, for which there may be no political consensus at the national level.

With the rumour mills working over time on the continuance of Ms. Jayalalithaa as the Chief Minister, the AIADMK may not be able to concentrate its attention or energies on the local bodies polls. It can take a week or more for things to crystallise on the political front-in regard to the Supreme court cases and the Tansi land deal case appeals.

The problem is that the State Election Commission has announced a very tight poll schedule. Filing of nominations is slated to commence on September 20 and last only for a week. That means, political parties must firm up alliances, complete the seat- adjustments and begin the process of selecting candidates.

As the PMK has still not joined the NDA in the State and the MDMK remains outside the fold, there is the possibility of their beginning some kind of negotiations for a possible tie up in this election. What Congress will do also remains a mystery, given the conflicting signals from its leaders. Apparently, the TMC, under its new leader, Mr. G. K. Vasan, is bent on strengthening its relations with the AIADMK.

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Section  : Southern States
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