BATTLE LINES DRAWN FOR TN POLLS

With the emergence of a BJP-led alliance, the battle lines were drawn for the April 24 Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu today, throwing up a multi-cornered contest where AIADMK and DMK are on aggessive campaign while an air of despair and isolation has enveloped Congress without allies. The two Left parties, having been dumped by former partner ruling AIADMK, have also thrown their hats into the ring, expanding their wings to more number of seats against the 2009 elections. CPI(M) and CPI would contest from nine seats each, as against the three each contested in alliance with AIADMK in 2009. Nursing the ambition of a greater political role post elections, AIADMK is facing the polls by itself. Party leader and Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has embarked on a hectic campaign trail, seeking votes for her government's performance. Similarly, DMK, which unsuccessfully wooed actor-politician Vijayakanth's DMDK, has announced 35 candidates for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, allotting five to allies VCK, IUML, MMK and PT. BJP, infused with a new energy following a series of visits by its Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi to the state in the last six months, seeks to make its presence felt in the Lok Sabha from Tamil Nadu where it currently lacks representation. For the first time, strong local outfits have come on board the saffron party hoping to cash-in on the Modi wave. Congress' attempts of putting up a brave show might not work out as its stalwarts including P Chidambaram and G K Vasan are reluctant to take the poll plunge. In 2009 elections, the DMK-led front comprising of Congress and VCK won majority of seats (27) followed by AIADMK and its allies, the two Left parties (11) while MDMK won the Erode seat. This time the lone Puduchery seat is witnessing a tough battle as ruling AINRC is trying to annexe the seat from Congress even as AIADMK and DMK are also in the fray.