TN, Pondy gear up for Monday's polls

       Chennai/Pondicherry: Tamil Nadu is all geared up for Monday's single phase assembly elections with unprecedented security arrangements in place. Also, the Union Territory of Pondicherry will go for the second and last phase of assembly polls tomorrow. Elaborate security arrangements have been made ahead of the polling for 234 assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu. Companies of para-military forces to be deployed along with the state police have arrived in the State. Nearly three lakh personnel will be on election duty in 51,534 polling stations on Monday. More than 3,300 polling booths have been identified as sensitive depending on the candidates in the fray, caste or religious conflicts in the area. Nearly 4.66 crore voters are expected to cast their votes to elect 234 members of assembly from 2586 candidates in the fray.

     Among others, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) supremo Jayalalithaa and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M Karunanidhi are also contesting the elections from Andipatti and Chepauk in Central Chennai, respectively. The ruling AIADMK has pitched itself directly against opposition DMK in 106 constituencies out of the 182 seats the party will be contesting in the Tamil Nadu assembly elections. With old DMK supporters like V Gopalaswamy, better known as Vaiko, of the MDMK party, supporting Jayalalithaa, the odds seem in favour of the MDMK-AIADMK alliance, according to political analysts. Ironically, Jayalalithaa had in 2002 sent Viko behind bars for almost 18 months under the controversial anti-terrorist act POTA (Prevention of Terrorism Act) for his speeches supporting the Tamil rebels, LTTE, of northern Srilanka. Vaiko is a known supporter of the Tamil rebels In 2001 assembly polls, the AIADMK wrested power from the DMK with the powerful backing of almost all opposition parties. It took 132 out of the 140 seats it contested. In Pondicherry, in the second phase of polling over six lakh voters are expected to exercise their franchise for the 27 constituencies on the Tamil Nadu coastline.

    In the second phase, the Congress is contesting for 17 seats led by Chief Minister N Rangasamy. Rangasamy, contesting from Thattanchavady seat, is facing AIADMK candidate T Gunasekaran. The DMK and the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) are contesting 11 seats, while the Left parties have put up their candidates in two seats. The PMC, floated by dissident Congress leader P Kannan and having an alliance with the AIADMK, is contesting on 10 seats. The ruling Congress holds 13 seats in the present house and has the support of the DMK, which has 12 seats. The AIADMK has three seats in the present house and is contesting for 20 seats with ally MDMK. The Bahujan Samaj Party has fielded 15 candidates. The lone Parliamentary seat of Pondicherry is with the PMK. The Pondicherry Legislative Assembly has 33 seats. Elections are held to 30 of them and the remaining three are filled by nomination. On May 3, in the first phase of polling to three constituencies - two on the Kerala coast and one on the Andhra Pradesh coast - nearly 45,000 electors had voted.

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