The Puducherry unit leaders of Left parties demanded a proportional representation (PR) system in elections.
Addressing media here on Saturday, Communist Party of India State unit secretary R. Viswanathan and Communist Party of India (Marxist) secretary V. Perumal said though the present democratic electoral system was deemed one among the best, there should be a change as the existing first-past-the-post system as it did not reflect the real wish of public.
Mr. Viswanathan pointed out that as per the statistics provided by the Election Commission, though the ruling NR Congress party candidate won the race by securing the highest number of votes- 2,55,826, there are above four lakh citizens who voted against NR Congress. It reflects that nearly 65 per cent population voted against the ruling NR Congress government.
The Left leaders advocated bringing the proportional representation system in elections in order to eliminate money and muscle power in the polls.
Mr. Viswanathan, who himself was a candidate and secured 12,709 votes, alleged that though the EC appeared to act tough initially, it became virtually dysfunctional towards the fag-end of polling. Claiming that excepting the Left parties, all parties had distributed money, the Left leaders thanked the voters who voted for them with sincerity.
DMK thanks votersThe Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam State unit organiser M.A.S. Subramanian on Saturday said Chief Minister N. Rangasamy and newly elected MP R. Radhakrishnan should recommence the welfare activities which were stalled for the last three years.
In a statement, Dr. Subramanian said without giving any money to voters, his party campaigned that it would strive for development of the State and corrupt-free administration.
The DMK leader pointed out that ever since Mr. Rangasamy took over as Chief Minister, he has been complaining that the Union Minister for State V. Narayanasamy was stalling the welfare measures to the public. Now, that the public has given the NR Congress a clear mandate in the hope that they would undertake development schemes, the Chief Minister and the newly elected MP Mr. Radhakrishnan should work to fulfil their aspirations, Dr. Subramanian said.
