Sunday, March 20, 2011

Vaiko's MDMK to boycott polls

CHENNAI: The Vaiko-led MDMK on Sunday quit the opposition AIADMK front after its demand for 21 seats was rejected and decided not to field any candidates in the Tamil Nadu assembly elections to avoid splitting the anti-DMK votes.

AIADMK boss J Jayalalithaa apparently sensing a setback to the opposition alliance, issued a statement that she was pained by the MDMK's decision to boycott the polls altogether. She offered only 12 seats to her longtime ally after conceding 41 seats to actor Vijayakanth's DMDK.

In a statement, the MDMK said it was hurt by the "arrogant attitude" of the AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa. A "relieved" Vaiko chose to watch the India-West Indies cricket match at Chepauk on Sunday evening when other politicians were busy thrashing out strategies to win the polls.

Jayalalithaa, in a statement, said she was a loving sister to Vaiko and would continue to be so. Jayalalithaa said as she could not allot 21 seats as demanded by the MDMK, it had left the front.

A senior MDMK leader, reacting to Jayalalithaa's statement, said, "She wants the votes of MDMK sympathisers but she has continuously insulted our leader Vaiko. Anyway people of the state will teach her a lesson."

"We will not patch up with AIADMK because she thinks that she will become chief minister without alliance partners. AIADMK alliance partners are all upset with her attitude but they want defeat the DMK and that is why they maintain the relationship with AIADMK," he said. MDMK had held a marathon 20-hour meeting at the party's head quarters on Saturday at which a resolution was passed to quit the AIADMK led front and boycott elections.

In a statement, the party said it was hurt by the "arrogant attitude" of the AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa.

toi

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