Why boycott,declare DMK winner: Jaya

In the absence of major opposition parties in the fray,it is better not to conduct the election. Instead,they could declare the DMK-Congress combine winners and save public money, said Jaya in a statement laced with sarcasm.

With major opposition parties actively campaigning for a poll boycott,the result,like Jaya said,is a foregone conclusion. But if the polling percentage is very low,the Opposition can raise questions about the validity of the victory.

So,AIADMK secretaries have been directed to ensure that no party sympathiser votes on the day. The three parties are also organising campaigns among voters in these constituencies,urging them that not voting was in fact a vote for democracy.

The executive committee of the AIADMK had last week resolved not to contest the election,a decision seconded by the PMK and MDMK. However,the Left parties,allies of the Opposition front for a brief period during the general elections,did not toe the line,and have announced candidates for the five seats. Close on the heels of a war of words between the AIADMK and CPM on the reasons for the Opposition alliances failure in the Lok Sabha polls,this has effectively put an end to the AIADMK-Left alliance.

The DMK will contest from Bargur,Ilayankudi and Cumbum,the first two being strong AIADMK seats in the past. Its ally Congress will contest from Thondamuthur,from where it lost in 2006,and Srivaikundam. The CPM will contest from Cumbum and Thondamathur while the CPI will field candidates from Bargur and Srivaikundam. Actor-politician Vijayakanths DMDK will contest from all five seats and has released the list of candidates.

The DMK is doing its bit to ensure that the AIADMKs poll boycott call fails. To ensure that party cadres turn up to vote in numbers,Deputy Chief Minister and party treasurer M K Stalin will campaign in all the constituencies. Beginning August 4,the heir-apparent to Chief Minister M Karunanidhi will go on a 10-day campaign.