Municipal polls expose cracks within DPA

Cracks have developed within the Democratic Progressive Alliance following unprecedented violence during the Chennai Corporation elections...

Cracks have developed within the Democratic Progressive Alliance DPA following unprecedented violence during the Chennai Corporation elections on October 13 with the Left parties blaming the ruling DMK for large-scale rigging and booth capturing in the local body polls.

The CPI and the CPIM had contested the May Assembly election as part of the DMK-led alliance. But unhappy with the seat allocation, this time, the Communists had fielded their candidates against the DPA in several wards in Chennai and panchayat posts in several districts. While the CPIM condemned the ruling DMK for 8220;vandalism8221; and 8220;brute force8221; unleashed during the first phase polls in the city, CPI state secretary, T Pandian, openly admitted to strains within the DPA following poll-day violence.

Though a re-poll was ordered today the second phase of the local body polls in several wards in Chennai the two parties announced a boycott calling it an 8220;eye-wash8221;. Pointed out CPIM Central Committee member, T K Rangarajan: 8220;During the May Assembly election we gave the people a choice between 8216;a dictatorial regime referring to the AIADMK government and democracy. But during the local body election, we saw rowdyism at a peak under the DMK regime.8221;

Rangarajan alleged that 8220;professional rowdies8221; led by DMK legislators and local leaders stormed election booths, beat up agents and candidates, chasing away voters and casting bogus votes. Furious with the conduct of the polls, the Communists are also likely to stay away from the indirect elections of mayor and chairperson by the elected councilors.

The Communist leaders have convened an urgent meeting of district functionaries tomorrow to discuss the fall-out of the DMK8217;s 8220;aggression8221; during the election. 8220;What was worse was the manner in which the police lent support to the rowdies,8221; said S Ezhumalai, the CPI south secretary and himself a candidate for the councillor8217;s post in Ward No. 140.

Quick to cash in on the disgruntlement of the Left parties, AIADMK general secretary, J Jayalalithaa, foresaw a 8220;political realignment8221; in Tamil Nadu. 8220;An alignment is likely shortly. There are all indications of this,8221; she told reporters today. Describing the violence during the first phase election as a 8220;brutal attack on democracy,8221; her party had moved the Madras High Court to declare it null and void.