The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led Democratic Progressive Alliance met at Neyveli on Thursday to take stock of the situation arising out of the severe drubbing the front suffered in all the nine Assembly constituencies in Cuddalore district.
Former Health Minister M.R.K.Panneerselvam, who lost the Kurinjipadi seat, chaired the meeting. He called upon the cadres of the DMK and the allied parties not to get upset by the defeat but continue to do party works on the direction of their respective leaders.
In the meeting the unsuccessful alliance candidates such as E.Pughazhendi (DMK—Cuddalore), T.Velmurugan (PMK—Neyveli), Saba Rajendran (DMK—Panruti), T.Arivuselvan (PMK—Bhuvanagiri), T.Neethirajan (Congress—Vriddhachalam), VCK leader Thirumarban, District Congress Committee president A.Nedunchezhiyan and others participated.
However, the notable absentees who also lost the elections were D.Ravikumar (VCK—Kattumannarkoil), M.Sinthanaiselvan (VCK—Thittakudi) and Sridhar Vandayar (Moovendar Munnetra Kazhagam—Chidambaram who contested on DMK symbol).
Mr Panneerselvam said that having realized the plight of the people of Cuddalore district during monsoon seasons, as they were frequently subjected to flood ravages, former Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi had allotted Rs 600 crore for taking up permanent flood control measures.
The latter also had launched many a welfare schemes from which almost all the families benefited. But soon after becoming Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa had arbitrarily set her sight on moving the Assembly and the Secretariat from the new building built at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore on the Omandurar Estate back to St.George Fort campus. It was for environmental reasons that Mr Karunanidhi had shifted the Assembly and the Secretariat to the new premises. Therefore, Ms Jayalalithaa's obduracy in reversing the decision was condemnable, he said.
The proposal to remove certain portions, particularly relating to Mr Karunanidhi's contributions to Tamil language, from the syllabus under the equitable education system was not in the interest of the student community, he said. He alleged that on the one hand Ms Jayalalithaa claimed to take steps to maintain law and order, but on the other her cadres were letting loose violence in many parts of the State by targeting the houses of the leaders of the opposition parties and damaging their banners.
He called upon the police not to remain mute spectators to such violence but take prompt action against the perpetrators. Endorsing the views the meeting passed resolutions on similar vein.
