I am Chief Minister till poll is over said Karunanidhi

CUDDALORE: 

         “In the eyes of the Constitution and the Election Commission, I am the Chief Minister till the election verdict is known,” said Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M. Karunanidhi.

          Addressing a public rally here on Saturday, Mr. Karunanidhi said that if he got majority, he would continue to be Chief Minister, and if not, he would be sent home. But, for the past 20 days he was not going to the Secretariat as the Election Commission had imposed restrictions on him in handing over the prize money to Indian cricket team for winning the World Cup.

        Mr. Karunanidhi said that after participating in the Villupuram public meeting a couple of days ago, Higher Education Minister K.Ponmudy told him that the V.I.P. guest house was out of bounds for him. Therefore, he had to stay at the party office, Kalaignar Arivalayam. Mr. Karunanidhi recalled that in his earlier days he was accustomed to spreading a towel underneath a tree to sleep.

          Later, during his journey to Cuddalore he could not stay at any of the travellers' bungalows to take his food. He could have his food only after his supporters screened his cabin with towels. Mr Karunanidhi acknowledged the fact that during election time all leaders, including the Prime Minister, were bound by the rules. He did not have any complaint against the top officials of the Election Commission but the behaviour of those in the lower rungs created doubts whether they were exceeding their limit.

         He said that All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader Jayalalithaa had the audacity to demand that the Election Commission change a police officer in his entourage as if she was already a Chief Minister. Mr Karunanidhi recalled the shabby treatment meted out to former Chief Election Commissioner T.N.Seshan during Ms. Jayalalithaa's regime, which he duly condemned.

He introduced the alliance candidates 

M.R.K.Panneerselvam (Kurinjipadi),

Ela.Pugazhendi (Cuddalore), 

Saba Rajendran (Panruti), 

T.Velmurugan (Neyveli), 

D.Ravikumar (Kattumannarkoil), 

Sinthanai Selvan (Thittakudi), 

Sridhar Vandayar (Chidambaram), 

T.Needhi Rajan (Vriddhachalam) and 

Arivuselvan (Bhuvanagiri).

Defends candidate

         Speaking at a public rally held on the Manjakuppam grounds on Saturday, Mr. Karunanidhi defended fielding Ela.Pugazhendi as the DMK candidate for the Cuddalore constituency. He said that the selection of Mr Pugazhendi caused flutters in the party.

        (He was making veiled reference to the disenchantment among the supporters of sitting Cuddalore MLA G.Aiyappan for not given the party ticket and subsequent suspension of the MLA). Mr Karunanidhi appealed to the party cadres to work for the victory of Mr Pugazhendi whose father Ilamvazhuthi had served the party from his childhood.

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DMK suspends sitting Cuddalore MLA Mr. Aiyappan

CUDDALORE: 

       With hardly four days to go for the Assembly elections, the suspension of sitting Cuddalore MLA G.Aiyappan by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam high command for alleged anti-party activities has come as a shock to party cadres.

       The rank and file of the party fear the winning chances of DMK candidate Ela. Pughazhendi will be affected. Veterans and moderates within the party express the view that differences should have been either sorted out or kept under wraps at least till the polling day before which nothing cataclysmic would have happened. The AIADMK camp is gleeful over the turn of events as the party feels that it is a godsend opportunity for it to expose the façade of unity within the ruling party. If the rift is so wide open, how could there be solidarity among the DMK allies, they ask.

          When contacted, Mr. Aiyappan said that it was the price he had to pay for his unflinching loyalty to M. Karuananidhi and his party and untiring services rendered to the people.

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Over 200 fishermen taken into custody

MLA G. Aiyappan and municipal chairman T. Thangarasu along with partymen during a protest in Cuddalore on Wednesday.

CUDDALORE: 

        MLA G.Aiyappan, municipal chairman T. Thangarasu and over 200 fishermen owing allegiance to the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam were taken into custody when they tried to besiege the Cuddalore Port office here on Wednesday.

         They were protesting the arrest of 106 fishermen from Akkarapettai in Nagapattinam district by the Sri Lankan Navy. They raised slogans decrying the action of the Sri Lankan Navy. It was reported that 106 fishermen had set sail from Akkarapettai on February 12 in 18 boats. They were surrounded by Sri Lankan fishermen and handed over to the Sri Lankan Navy. Health Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam, who addressed the gathering in front of the Port office, said that though the agitation was organised at short notice, there was huge gathering of fishermen and it indicated the seriousness of the problem.

           The State government had been expressing displeasure over the ill-treatment meted out to Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy on the high seas and, therefore, it had taken up the fishermen's cause with the authorities concerned. If justice is not rendered to the Tamil Nadu fishermen, the agitation would continue, Mr. Panneerselvam said. After the Minister left, the police personnel rounded up the protestors. Before boarding the police van, Mr. Aiyappan said that the Sri Lankan Navy should free the Tamil Nadu fishermen unconditionally and immediately.

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Collector Inspected rain-affected areas in Cuddalore town

CUDDALORE: 

            Collector P. Seetharaman, accompanied by MLA G.Aiyappan, and Municipal Commissioner T. Thangarasu and officials, visited rain-affected areas in Cuddalore town on Tuesday. They walked through water-logged Pallatheru, Chavadi Street, Dhanam Nagar and Bheemarao Nagar to assess the damage and listen to the grievances of residents.

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Over Rs. 300 crore for development works in Cuddalore district

CUDDALORE:

           K.S. Alagiri, MP, who headed the Vigilance and Monitoring Committee meeting here on Tuesday, said that a total of Rs. 308.56 crore had been allotted by both the Central and State governments for undertaking various development works in Cuddalore district in 2010-11.

            Of these, works to the extent of Rs. 52.96 crore have been completed. The prominent among them is the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme, Indira Awaz Yojana and complete sanitation programme. Mr. Alagiri called upon officials and elected representatives of local bodies to keep vigil over the execution of works. Collector P. Seetharaman, MLAs G.Aiyappan and Saba.Rajendran, and, Project Officer (DRDA) R. Rajashri participated in the meeting.

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