Chennai: The 2G-spectrum scam case has once again came to haunt the DMK in run up to the ensuing state assembly polls with former union Telecom minister and DMK leader A. Raja beginning his final argument in the CBI special court in New Delhi for the second day on Tuesday.
After CBI concluding its final argument on December 22 last year in the case in which Mr Raja, DMK Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi and 15 others are named as accused, Raja commenced his argument on Monday reiterating that all decisions taken by him regarding 2G spectrum allocation were “unanimous” and he had shared the details with then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other cabinet colleagues at all crucial stages. CBI had alleged a loss of Rs 30,984 crore to the exchequer in allocation of 122 licences for 2G spectrum, which was scrapped by the Supreme Court on February 2, 2012.
DMK had been facing series of electoral defeats since the 2011 assembly polls after the 2G scam took the political centre stage. The commencement of the defence argument in run up to the crucial assembly polls could emerge as an obstacle for DMK to make a come back, says political observers.
Prof Dr Ramu Manivannan of department of politics and public administration, Madras University, said that the final hearing of 2G scam in run up to the assembly election would have an impact on the DMK’s prospects. He said that final arguments happening at this juncture would keep alive the issue in the public sphere. “The 2G scam case has drawn lot of national attention with implication on DMK as well as Congress. It had already created an impact in the 2011 assembly polls and 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Very fact that the final arguments happening in run up to the polls will have an impact on the election outcome,” he told DC.
However, Prof P. Lazarus Samraj, head, department of politics and international studies, Pondicherry University, said that the impact of the 2G scam case depends on the DMK’s choice of the chief ministerial candidate. He said the impact would be much less if the DMK projects M.K. Stalin as its CM candidate.
“Despite holding office of Mayor and deputy chief minister, Mr Stalin has no corruption case against him. His clean image will work in favour of DMK getting neutral voters,” he said, adding that if DMK chief M. Karunanidhi were projected as CM candidate, the spectrum case would create a negative impact.
