AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa kicked off her election campaign here on Saturday, urging the electorate to teach the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led alliance a fitting lesson by supporting the AIADMK combine, for taking Tamil Nadu and the nation to greater heights.

Ms.Jayalalithaa, who addressed the public for about 40 minutes, devoted nearly 20 minutes for the Sri Lankan issue.

“After the Congress-led government came to power in 2004, the Centre, surviving on the support of the DMK, provided all support to the Sri Lankan army, including training, arms and ammunition and financial assistance, which is being used to wipe out Tamils in the island nation. We, the AIADMK and its allies, have exposed these disturbing designs of the Congress and the DMK before the people of Tamil Nadu, who have understood that Mr. Karunanidhi’s outward show expressing support for the suffering Sri Lankan Tamils is nothing but a drama,” she alleged.

Tamil Eelam alone would be the solution if the Sri Lankan government was not prepared to recognise an autonomous Tamil State. The case filed by the AIADMK in the Supreme Court on Katchatheevu to win back the rights of Tamil fishermen would ensure a reasonable and everlasting solution.

“You gave the DMK and the Congress victory in all 40 Parliamentary constituencies in 2004. While Mr.Karunanidhi is according the highest priority to ensure the well being of only his family members in the past five years, leaving Tamil Nadu in the lurch, the Union government has failed on all fronts. This is a golden opportunity given to you. Hence teach a fitting lesson to Mr.Karunanidhi and the Congress on May 13,” she said.
She came down heavily on the DMK government for undeclared power cuts, poor law and order situation, illegal sand mining, smuggling of rice meant for the public distribution system, unemployment and rise in activities of fundamentalists.

The Desia Pathukappu Kazhagam (DPK), led by Mahatma Gandhi’s former secretary V.Kalyanam, will contest from Chennai South and Chennai Central constituencies.

Announcing this at a press conference here on Thursday, Mr. Kalyanam said N.S.Venkataraman, a chemical engineer, would contest from Chennai South and Niranjan Kasturi, a management consultant, from Chennai Central.

The candidates would spend only Rs.3.75 lakh each on campaign and abide by Gandhian principles. Party’s founder secretary M.Kumar and propaganda secretary V.Sundaram were present at the press meet.

s part of its promise to ensure “that more money is available in the hands of the people,” the manifesto also said that income tax exemption limit for all others would be increased to Rs.5 lakh per annum.

The manifesto, released by party general secretary Jayalalithaa at a rally on Island Grounds on Thursday, stated that it would create 100 million jobs in the next five years.

Six lakh existing vacancies in Defence and Central services would be filled and services of 5 lakh casual workers in Central Services regularised. “Three lakh extra departmental workers in Postal Services will be regularised.”

It promised to prevent the entry of Foreign Direct Investment in retail, real estate and higher education.

Present limits on FDI in insurance sector would continue.

Stating that National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) would be revamped and renamed National Rural Upliftment Scheme (NRUS), the manifesto said a scheme linked to the NRUS would provide household essential commodities to every worker, who works for five days in a month under NRUS. A package of 25 kgs of rice or wheat, 1 kg pulses, 1 kg edible oil and 5 litres of kerosene to meet a family’s basic food requirements for a whole month would be provided.

The AIADMK would call for immediate cessation of war in Sri Lanka and demand an immediate stop to genocide against the civilian Tamil population. “If these moves fail, then the AIADMK will press for a separate State of Eelam to ensure that Tamils in the island live a life of dignity.”

Besides providing a laptop computer for every SC/ST student taking up professional studies (the scheme will be extended progressively to cover BC,MBC and denotified communities), bicycles for all SC, ST, BC, MBC and DNC students pursuing secondary school studies would be provided.

MADURAI: Unidentified persons assaulted Communist Party of India (Marxist) MLA N. Nanmaran near his residence at Ponnagaram here on Wednesday night. The MLA, representing the Madurai East Assembly Constituency, was treated at the Government Rajaji Hospital for cut injuries on Thursday afternoon.

“It is an attack out of political enmity,” Mr. Nanmaran said. He was returning home around 11.45 p.m. after completing election work when the attack took place.

“I was trying to take my moped into the house when two persons, riding a motorbike, came from behind and hit me with some weapon and escaped.” Since it was late in the night no one was there on the street to chase the culprits.

KARUR: Cine actor Ramarajan campaigned for the AIADMK in several parts of Karur, Inam Karur and Thanthoni municipality areas in Karur town on Tuesday canvassing votes for the party nominee for the Karur Lok Sabha constituency M. Thambi Durai.

vIRUDHUNAGAR: More than the failures of the State government, the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) cadres must focus on identifying the Congress and DMK as the betrayers of Tamils, said MDMK general secretary Vaiko here on Sunday.

Addressing party workers here, Mr. Vaiko, MDMK candidate for the Virudhunagar Lok Sabha constituency, said the cadres must highlight power cuts, sand smuggling, atrocities perpetrated on common man in the State, the attack on High Court judge on court premises and the betrayal of the State on the Cauvery, Palar and Mullaperiyar water disputes. The people of the State were in an agitated mood over these issues.

Moreover, the fact that the Centre was supplying arms to the Sri Lankan military to kill the Tamils would fetch a large chunk of votes, Mr Vaiko said.

The Congress, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi were responsible for the massacre of Tamils in the island nation. Clarifying that he had not caused any harm to the sovereignty of the nation in his recent speech, he said he was ready to face any action by the State government. “If one Vaiko is jailed, thousands of Vaikos will emerge.

CHENNAI: Hours after the seat-sharing agreement was concluded with the MDMK, AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa released the party’s list of candidates for 23 Lok Sabha constituencies.

The MDMK has been allotted four constituencies. Party general secretary Vaiko, who is contesting a general election after a gap of 10 years, will contest from Virudhunagar. Former MP of Palani and district secretary of Erode A. Ganeshamurthy will contest from Erode. MP C. Krishnan will contest from Nilgiris and deputy general secretary Durai Balakrishnan from Thanjavur.

Among the prominent AIADMK candidates are
former Union Minister M. Thambidurai (Karur),
former Tamil Nadu Ministers S. Semmalai (Salem),
V.Sathiyamurthy (Ramanathapuram),
M.C. Sampath (Cuddalore),.
R.S. Rajakannappan(Sivaganga seat),
Cynthia Pandian(Tuticorin ),
S.S. Chandran (Central Chennai),
O.S. Manian (Mayiladuthurai )
C. Sivasami Tirupur constituency. (Tirupur)
R. Rajan (Tiruvallur),
S. Rajendran (South Chennai),
L.K.M.P. Vasu (Vellore),
Mukkur N. Subramanian (Arani),
P. Murugan (Villupuram),
V. Vairam Tamilarasi (Namakkal),
K. Sukumar (Pollachi),
P. Kumar (Tiruchi),
R.P. Maruthairaj (Perambalur),
K. Annamalai (Tirunelveli).
E. Ramakrishnan (Kancheepuram),
K. Nanjagoda (Krishnagiri),
MP Thanga Tamilselvan (Theni)
P. Balasubramani (Dindigul)

The AIADMK will be facing the DMK in 10 constituencies and the Congress in 11 constituencies. In Villupuram, the fight is between the AIADMK and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi and in Vellore, the AIADMK will face the Muslim League. The DMK and the PMK have a direct contest in 5 constituencies.

After days of hectic parleys, the State unit of the CPI(M) on Monday reached an agreement on seats sharing with the AIADMK.

Besides the two currently held constituencies, Kanyakumari (earlier Nagercoil) and Madurai, the CPI(M) will contest from the Coimbatore constituency.