Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Vandavasi by election: PMK shows Volte-face

It campaigns against AIADMK, DMDK

PMK's voice insisting its loyalists and cadres to opt for 49(O) in Vandavasi by election, instead of voting for any party, reached its diminuendo.

Top functionaries including former union minister Ponnusamy, Peranamallur MLA and Deputy General Secretary Ethiroli Maniyan and District Secretary Mannappan are camping in villages of this assembly constituency for couple of days and insist their party men and sympathizers to not to vote for AIADMK or DMDK. While not insisting on opting 49(O) they leave the option of voting to any candidate other than those of AIADMK and DMDK. This falls short of directly asking to vote for DMK, though the functionaries know well that it almost means supporting DMK.
While there is no official announcement about this change of stand, PMK office bearers take no efforts to hide the development. Party people are visiting every village and meet the party men to convey this message from “Ayya”. The top functionaries while going to villages take concerned block secretary and other influential persons of the region with them.
This development is reportedly taken by PMK founder Ramadoss contrasting from its earlier positions vis-a-vis by elections: disputing the infallibility of Electronic Voting Machines and abstain from by-election; Making loud charges about cash distribution among voters and decline to participate in elections; and finally resolution to campaign among people and party cadres to excise 49 (O) option expressing “unwillingness to vote for any of the contesting candidates”.

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