Chennai
DMK treasurer MK Stalin will contest from Kolathur constituency once again. A key member of the team who has been interviewing party MLA aspirants during the last fortnight, Stalin himself appeared before his father and party president M Karunanidhi seeking a ticket on the concluding day on Tuesday.
Party sources said the patriarch quizzed Stalin on, “How much will you spend? Have you done something for your constituency?” Karunanidhi added, “I will discuss with Perasiriyar (Anbazhagan) and let you know if we can allot this seat to you.” While applicants were being interviewed for the Katpadi constituency, the witty Duraimurugan retorted, “I will not spend thalaivarey .” Former state higher education minister K Ponmudi also had a moment after Karuna pondered, “Why do you always appear for this seat (Villupuram)?”
The Kolathur connection
Stalin nurtured the constituency as early as 2014 when he launched the “reach your MLA” scheme. A helpline 7810878108 with a team of party men addressed voters’ grievances. Later in April 2015, he kicked off “Pesalaam vaanga” programme, where voters from different parts of Kolathur constituency were handpicked to interact with Stalin. After Karunanidhi left Chennai for his Thiruvarur constituency in 2011 Assembly poll, Stalin was the only other prominent party leader, to contest in Chennai.
DMK may not take freebie route to mobilise votes
The DMK may give freebies a miss in its election manifesto this time. Highly placed sources said that the manifesto would be devoid of freebies, which earnt its poll manifesto the moniker “star of the election” and saw its return to power in 2006 Assembly polls. “People are disillusioned with freebies.
The ruling party gave out mixer, grinder and laptop. Their distribution was not proper. Freebies have lost the charm in general. So we will play down freebies this time,” a senior DMK leader involved in the party’s manifesto preparation revealed. But, there would be no dearth of other attractive schemes like the cooperative farm loan waiver in 2006 Assembly polls.
The DMK is said to have planned something on the lines of waiving or subsidising student’s education loan, which could drum up support among young voters, who account for a sizeable population of the total 5.8 crore voters in Tamil Nadu.
DMK’s calculations may not be misplaced if one factors in stats released by CEC Nasim Zaidi who put the population of people in 18-19 years age category at 26 lakhs. “We are working out the modalities of the education loan scheme. It will be announced,” one of the members of the election committee led by T R Baalu said when asked about waiving education loans availed from GoI controlled banks.
Significantly, climate change is another area that will be given due importance this time.
‘DMDK will soon join alliance’
With the Assembly election dates out and political parties in Tamil Nadu busy providing final touches to their manifesto and holding interviews with aspiring candidates, DMK party president M Karunanidhi on Tuesday exuded confidence that the DMDK-led by actor Vijayakant would definitely ally with the DMK-led front for the May 16 polls.
Talking to newsmen after completing the interview of candidates at DMK Headquarters ‘Anna Arivalayam’ in the city, Party President M Karunanidhi said he was extremely confident that the DMDK would join the DMK-led Front.
The fivetime Chief Minister also said the DMK has not extended invitation to any other party to join the alliance.
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