Tamil Nadu Gets Into Election Mode, Ahead of Time
Chief Electoral Officer in Tamil Nadu undertaking an exercise to check the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) that were kept in safe custody and would only be put to use during polling
Chennai: Not just the political parties of the State but also the Election Commission of India (ECI) has shifted to election mode with the officials at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer in Tamil Nadu undertaking an exercise to check the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) that were kept in safe custody and would only be put to use during polling.
As far as the political parties, the main players in the electoral theatre, are concerned, they have started calling aspiring contestants to express their willingness to take part in the process. So without waiting for the finalization of the alliances and the allocation of constituencies for the parties, they have started call for applications.
In an announcement on Thursday, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami called for applications from prospective candidates for the Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, saying that the polls were likely to be held soon.
The electoral aspirants were asked to collect the application forms from the party headquarters from Monday, December 15, to Tuesday, December 23, between 10 am and 5 pm every day. On the first day, on December 15, the distribution of forms would start only at 12 noon, he said.
The forms should be duly filled and submitted at the party headquarters, he said, adding that all the details sought in the application should be furnished by the aspirants.
Earlier, the TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai invited applications from all the 234 Assembly constituencies, though the party would not be able to field candidates all over the State. If the party continued to be part of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, it could not get more than 30 to 40 seats, come what may.
Even if the party succeeds in finalizing an alliance with the Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) to which the high command in Delhi would like to hook up – as it is rumoured strongly – it would not be able to contest from all the 234 seats since the TVK had made it clear that their president Vijay would be the Chief Ministerial candidate, come what may.
Still the Congress would like to identify candidates in all the constituencies. Similarly, the PMK, led by Anbumani Ramadoss, has also called for applications from aspirants though it is not sure as to whom it would align with for elections that are expected four or five month later.
A PMK leader called on TVK office-bearers at their office in Panaiyur on Thursday and sought support for an agitation demanding a caste census. Responding to the invitation, TVK’s campaign management general secretary, Aadhav Arjuna, said that he would consult the president and a decision would be taken.
So, as of now everything is in a state of flux with no clear indications on the possible alliances. Yet parties have started the work of calling for applications from aspirants, which is nothing but a bid to keep the electoral pot boiling though elections are far away and no one knows which party would contest from which constituency.
