A fiery verbal exchange between Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam leader Vijayakanth and Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in the Tamil Nadu assembly on Wednesday resulted in the DMDK being evicted. Rediff.com's Shobha Warrier talks to analysts and politicians to find out what impact it would have on the political situation in Tamil Nadu.
The DMDK officially joined the DMK-led alliance ahead of the upcoming Tamil Nadu assembly elections, marking a significant political development in the state.
Capitalising on the boycott by main opposition All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led Democratic Progressive Alliance on Friday expectedly swept the by-polls to five Tamil Nadu assembly seats, trouncing actor-politician Vijaykant's Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam by impressive margins.
J K Ritheesh, a Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam member of Parliament and five others were arrested in connection with a clash between his partymen and Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam-All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam workers at Kalavankudi in the district, police said here on Tuesday.
DMK-led alliance captures Coimbatore, Tirupur
Former Union Minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader M K Alagiri was on Friday suspended from the party on charges of going against the party's stand and airing divergent views on the issue of stitching an alliance with Vijaykant's Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam.
Around 75 per cent polling was registered in the byelection to Tamil Nadu Assembly from Sankarankovil (SC) constituency on Sunday and the exercise was 'by and large peaceful', Election officials said.
Accusing Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam president M Karunanidhi of trying to create confusion in the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led front, actor-politician Vijaykant has said Jayalalithaa would be the chief minister of Tamil Nadu if the party-led combine was voted to power in the April 13 assembly elections."Karunanidhi is making such remarks to create confusion in the AIADMK-led alliance," he charged.
A week after a fiery exchange of words between Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and Leader of Opposition Vijayakanth in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, around 1,000 Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam functionaries and workers, including the actor-politician's close friend Ibrahim Rowther joined the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Tuesday.
Actor-politician Vijayakant's Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam, launched in 2005 amid fanfare and claims of being an alternative to the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, seems to have failed to make much of an impact at the grassroots level, with the party managing just two per cent of total votes polled in last week's civic polls. The ruling AIADMK romped home in all 10 corporations besides many other local bodies.
Polling for the first phase of the civic polls in Tamil Nadu started across the state on Monday morning on a peaceful note. No untoward incident was reported as polling began at 10 corporations including Chennai besides many other local bodies at 7 am.
According to reports, Vijayakant was caught on camera assaulting Dharmapuri candidate Bhaskar during a rally. Bhaskar apparently tried to correct him after he misspelt his name.
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief Jayalalithaa, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M Karunanidhi, his son M K Stalin. and Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam chief Vijayakanth spent far less than the limit set by the Election Commission for poll-related expenses during the April 13 assembly elections.
Tamil-actor-turned political leader Vijaykanth told rediff.com that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's announcement of demanding Indian citizenship for Sri Lankan Tamil refugees is helping the dream of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse.
The stage is set for the second by-poll of the year in Tamil Nadu at Pudukottai on Tuesday where former friends All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam will fight each other, with Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam choosing to skip the contest.
Seeking to mollify allies miffed over its 'unilateral' announcement of candidates for 160 constituencies in Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK on Saturday concluded seat sharing arrangements with the Left parties and other allies for the April 13 assembly polls. The AIADMK is continuing its talks with the DMDK even as the process of filing of nominations for 234 seats begins on Saturday. The hectic political activity in the AIADMK camp continued till the wee hours of Saturday.
The leaders of the Left parties, G Ramakrishnan (Communist Party of India-Marxist) D Pandian (CPI), and Kathiravan of All India Forward Bloc along with Puthiya Tamizhagam leader Dr K Krishnasamy and All India Moovendar Munnetra Kazhagam leader Dr N Sethuraman, were holding talks among themselves and planned to meet Vijayakant jointly to evolve a common strategy
DMDK founder-president Vijayakant along with party presidium chairman Panruti Ramachandran and Youth wing secretary Sudheesh called on Jayalalithaa at her Poes Garden residence in Chennai on Friday night to cement the pact under which the party had been allotted 41 seats, a joint statement released to the media said.
Even a day after the filing of nominations opened for April 13 assembly polls began in Tamil Nadu, the political scene remains unclear, with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam still struggling to put the alliance led by it in shape.
The party said though actor-turned-politician Vijaykant, who founded the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam, speaks about people's problems, his economic policies were not known. The Pattali Makkal Katchi was also raising a lot of people's problems
The bypoll was necessitated following the death of DMK minister P G R Palanivelrajan.
The extensive floral arrangements on the floor of the Tamil Nadu Assembly said it all. The Jayalalithaa government in the state had turned one and it was time to celebrate.
With Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam joining hands with All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, rumours had it that DMDK will follow suit.
Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam leader Vijayakant is inclined to lead a Third Front to contest the April 13 assembly polls with the Left parties and Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam to be the likely constituents, DMDK sources said on Thursday
Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu are round the corner but 'Captain' -- as Vijayakanth is known -- isn't saying a word. The heart-throb of millions of Tamils and the leader of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam believes he holds all the aces.
DMDK leader Vijaykant is observing a one-day token fast at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to express solidarity with the minority Tamil population in Sri Lanka. Addressing his supporters in Tamil, the actor-turned-politician alleged that fishermen from Tamil Nadu were being kidnapped and killed, while they were out fishing on the high seas.Vijaykant, an actor-turned-legislator in the Tamil Nadu assembly, is known as the 'Black MGR' among his fans and followers.
A war of words erupted between the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the DMDK over a hike in bus fares and milk prices last year, which soon turned into a one-on-one clash between Jayalalithaa and Vijayakanth with members on either side up on their feet, causing noisy scenes.
The massive 10 per cent swing reflected the public fury against the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam regime, hit by the 2G spectrum scam, power cut, skyrocketing prices and deteriorating law and order.
In the AIADMK-led front, the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam was forging ahead in 23, the Communist Party of India-Marxist in 10 and the CPI in five constituencies. All top leaders of the AIADMK including Jayalalithaa, O Panneerselvam and K A Sengotaiyan, DMDK founder Vijaykanth, DMK patriarch and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and his son M K Stalin were leading over their nearest rivals
A court in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, on Wednesday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam founder and Leader of the Opposition in Tamil Nadu Assembly Vijaykanth after he failed to appear before it in connection with a defamation case filed by the Jayalalithaa government.
In an unusual action, Leader of Opposition in Tamil Nadu assembly Vijaykanth was on Thursday suspended for 10 days for breach of privilege during a heated exchange with Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.
The Madras high court on Thursday granted anticipatory bail to Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam founder and Leader of Opposition in Tamil Nadu Assembly Vijaykanth, who apprehended arrest in connection with a case of alleged manhandling of a journalist at the airport.
Upping the ante, two Members of Legislative Assembly of principal opposition in the assembly Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam, whose meeting with Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has left party founder and actor Vijaykanth red faced, on Tuesday dared him to sack them from the organisation. "We went and met the chief minister to discuss the problems of the people. If they (DMDK leaders) feel it is a mistake, let them dismiss us," Radhapuram MLA C Michael Rayappan said.
In an apparent bid to stem any further erosion in his party against the backdrop of four of his members of Legislative Assembly meeting Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, actor-politician and Opposition Leader Vijayakant on Monday sought a meeting with her to discuss constituency-related issues.
Slamming the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government over petrol price, actor Vijayakant-led Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam, the principal opposition in the state assembly, will stage a demonstration at Tiruchirappalli on June 1.
Reacting to a police case registered against him following a complaint by Vadivelu in connection with the attack on the comedian's residence and office on Sunday, DMDK chief Vijayakant, said: "Vadivelu is acting on DMK's instigation, as Karunanidhi and the party are unable to bear the rise of DMDK." Vadivelu's house was attacked allegedly by around 40 DMDK workers a day before he was to depose in a local court in a case involving him and a DMDK functionary.
The 'political war' in the television studios is expected to intensify in Tamil Nadu, where almost all television channels are identified with some political parties, with actor- politician Vijayakanth planning to launch a 24-hour entertainment venture to air his party's views.
The Congress has decided to hunt for new allies while retaining the old ones in its bid to return to power at the Centre after the Lok Sabha elections. The grand old party's strategy revolves around getting new alliance partners like the Janata Dal-Secular in Karnataka, Trinamool Congress of Mamta Banerjee in West Bengal, Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam led by actor- turned-politician Vijaykanth in Tamil Nadu, apart from the existing partners.
DMK had in early 2013 snapped ties with Congress over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue.
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