TN elections: Intel agencies predict victory for ADMK alliance LensOnNews Bureau
When a series of opinion polls predicted that the ruling DMK is set to lose power in Tamil Nadu, and the AIADMK alliance led by Jayalalithaa is coasting to a victory (the LensOnNews poll had forecast a convincing win for the opposition alliance which was projected to win 144 seats against just 88 for the DMK alliance), Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had breezily dismissed them as “fabrications”.
However, the reports that he received last week about the assessments by the central and state intelligence agencies have come as a jolt to the ageing DMK leader, who is looking to return to power as chief minister of Tamil Nadu for an unprecedented sixth term.
The survey undertaken by the Intelligence Bureau of the central government reportedly projects 112 seats for the DMK-led Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA), against a slim majority of 122 seats for the opposition alliance led by the AIADMK.
The IB reportedly estimates that the DMK will get just 67 seats; and its allies Congress, PMK, VCK, and KNMK 28, 14, 2, and one seat respectively.
The opposition AIADMK alone is estimated to win 95 seats; the DMDK 19; the CPM 8; the CPI 7; and other allies 3 seats.
The survey results of the state government’s own intelligence wing (of the Tamil Nadu police) are even more unsettling for the DMK. They project just 89 seats for the DMK alliance against a comfortable majority of 132 seats for the AIADMK alliance. The estimated break-up for the DPA is: DMK just 59 seats, Congress 17, PMK 10, VCK 2, and KNMK one; and for the opposition alliance: AIADMK 95 seats, DMDK
19, CPM 8, CPI 7, and other 3. Thirteen seats are said to be too close to call.
Truly, the “Kalaignar” feels himself under siege. His trusted aide A.Raja was forced to resign from the central cabinet and is in Tihar Jail; the CBI is reportedly ready to chargesheet his beloved daughter Kanimozhi; the Election Commission has imposed a “mini emergency” (in his own words) in Tamil Nadu making it impossible for his son Azhagiri, the party strongman, to use muscle power and cash for voter mobilization as he did successfully in the 2009 elections; and now, power may not only be slipping away
from him but, come May, his nemesis Jayalalithaa may usurp his seat as chief minister of Tamil Nadu.
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Verbatim |
 When television news anchor Rahul Kanwal got through to Srinivasan and asked him about Meiyappan’s arrest, the BCCI president reacted with thuggish belligerence: 'Shut up, just shut up. I will fix the whole lot of you.' It’s amusing, of course, that “fixing” appears to be uppermost on Srinivasan’s mind even at this stage.This IPL series has shown up the carnival to be a can of worms and India’s cricket administration to be rotten at its core. As a first step towards fixing it over the long haul, Srinivasan and his political patron and IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla should be made to resign, and the Chennai Super Kings team disqualified.
Venky Vembu |
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Split with Nitish will only boost BJP in Bihar -
K Balakrishnan, LensOnNews
WITH THE BJP seemingly decided on projecting Narendra Modi as its PM candidate and its close ally Nitish Kumar of JD(U) equally firm in his opposition to the idea, a split in the NDA alliance looks inevitable; most observers think it’s not a question of if, but when. |
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