கேரள அரசியலில் அதிமுக

[adithadi]

AIADMK to dip toe in Kerala's assembly poll waters

(IANS)

10 April 2006

CHENNAI — In its first foray into Kerala's assembly polls starting April 22, Tamil Nadu's AIADMK will contest as many as 54 seats in 10 districts.

The AIADMK's Kerala chapter was formally opened in 2001 and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha's party hopes to take the first step toward becoming a national party by winning some seats in Kerala. It will be the first time that the AIADMK is fielding candidates in nearly one-third of the 140 seats in the Kerala assembly.

K.P. Rajapandian, the general secretary of the AIADMK unit in Kerala, said: "This is the first time that the AIADMK will be contesting an assembly election in Kerala. Amma (Jayalalitha) has huge support in our state." He predicts at least nine seats for the AIADMK in the new Kerala assembly, which goes to the polls in three phases.

A baby elephant that Jayalalitha gifted to the famous Guruvayoor temple after her party won the 2001 assembly elections has also helped sway the state's sentiment in AIADMK's favour, Rajapandian said. The 10 districts where AIADMK candidates will contest are Idukki, Palakkad, Kozhikode, Trivandrum, Pathanamthitta, Kollam, Kottayam, Trichur, Malappuram and Alappuzha. Many of these are Muslim-strong constituencies and Jayalalitha, always a supporter of Hindutva groups, may find the going tough. However, Jayalalitha asserts: "We have learnt that the AIADMK has a good following in Kerala. So we would like to test our strength."

The AIADMK manifesto has promised to make Munnar a world-class holiday resort and to upgrade the Vizhinjam port. It has also vowed to promote Kathakali dance and martial art 'kalari payattu' as national art forms. As in Tamil Nadu, the party has promised to set up women's self-help groups and says it will bring development that will help arrest exodus of Keralites for jobs outside the state. The AIADMK has also promised free education and bicycles up to Class 12.

Munnar, with its Tamil labour and strong trade union movement in its tea estates, is equally a Congress and Left stronghold with the voters keeping the two parties on a tightrope. For the first time, a third force will be active in this district.