This is in response to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa’s announcement that the party will go it alone in the Lok Sabha elections. Ms Jayalalithaa should evolve a workable plan to win all the 40 MP seats in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
The AIADMK came to power in the Assembly elections with the support of its alliance partners and cashed in on burning issues like corruption and the injustices done to the Tamils in Sri Lanka. Ms Jayalalithaa’s statesmanship, diplomacy and tactfulness will decide her fortune in the Lok Sabha polls. She should not be deceived by the crowds of loyalists around her. The next election will not be necessarily fought on principles if the present trend is any indication. Therefore, any hasty move by the AIADMK will result in its being isolated and cornered by all Opposition parties in the State and the country, irrespective of how its government has performed.
K. Bala Sundram,
Dharmapuri
Ms Jayalalithaa’s decision to keep off both the Congress and the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls is bold and progressive. The people of Tamil Nadu are fed up with the indifferent approach of both the national parties. On the Cauvery issue, neither of the two parties has come forward to redress the genuine demands of the delta farmers. The Chief Minister’s oft-repeated request for more power to the State has also gone unheeded.
J. Anantha Padmanabhan,
Srirangam
