UNI
 
Chennai, May 12: Alliance arithmetic has worked wonders again for the DMK-led Democratic Progressive Alliance in Tamil Nadu, which captured power dislodging the Jayalalithaa regime.

All the parties that came together with the single agenda of defeating the AIADMK government performed to their full potential.

The DPA banked on its joint chemistry, which won it 39 out of 39 seats in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, despite the exit of the MDMK late in the race.

The people of the state, known for changing loyalties alternately between the two Dravidian parties, voted out the AIADMK-led Democratic People's Alliance, giving them just 69 seats.

Billed as one of the toughest and closest polls in the state's history, the DMK's freebies played a 'decisive' role in the front's thumping victory.

Also for the first time in the annals of state politics, neither the DMK nor the AIADMK has secured a majority on its own. But the DMK, which won 96 seats, would form the government with the outside support of its allies - Congress, PMK and the Left parties, which won 34, 18 and 15 seats respectively.

A coalition government in the state became possible for the first time in recent years, but the DMK's constituents foreclosed the option, stating that they would not join the Government. They agreed to offer outside support to the DMK.

DMK president M Karunanidhi, who was the guiding force in the DPA's victory despite his age, would be formally elected as the Legislature party leader tomorrow.

The DMK government would be sworn in on May 13 at 1000 hrs, the party announced.

The octogenarian leader, who registered his record 11th successive win, would assume office as Chief Minister for a record fifth time. 
 
Former IIT-ians Make Inroads in TN Politics
 
PTI 

Chennai: Much to the surprise of parties, the fledgling "Lok Paritran", a party floated by former IIT-ians, has managed to make inroads into the vote bank of other party candidates like Arcot Veerasamy (DMK) and S Ve Shekar (AIADMK).  
 
Between them, the seven Paritran candidates, who contested five constituencies in the city, one in Tiruvallur and another in Ramanathapuram district, cumulatively polled more than 34,000 votes, with their main man Santhanagopal Vasudev, who was pitted against political heavy weights like Shekar and Napolean (DMK) in Mylapore in the city, mustering 10,000 votes.

Political analysts here feel that Vasudev could have played a significant role in weaning away a chunk of Napolean's vote bank in this constituency, which could have led to his defeat. Rajamani, another candidate fielded in Anna Nagar constituency and contesting against stalwarts like Arcot N Veerasamy and the power of the MDMK party, polled 12,000 votes, the Paritran representative told PTI.

One of them, Elanthirumaran, even contested against the DMK Supremo M Karunanidhi at Chepauk and managed to poll 669 votes, only to lead the pack of Independents and emerge as the fifth highest vote getter among the 20 contestants there.

The Paritran, contesting for the first time, was formed only two months ago.

When established parties competed with each other on promising freebies to woo voters and capture power, the Paritran stood out, not believing in enticing voters on such accounts."Short term promises are a strict no no" was their refrain.

The Paritran was clear in its promise for good governance, transparency, accessibility, freedom from corruption and proper implementation.

Jaya Fails to Break the Jinx in TN
 
PTI
 
Chennai: AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa failed to break the jinx of an incumbent Chief Minister not returning to power in the elections to Tamil Nadu assembly since 1989.

Ironically, it was her political mentor and AIADMK founder M G Ramachandran who was the last Chief Minister to have been re-elected successively since 1977 when he wrested power from the DMK.

With his magic spell over the people of the state, MGR held the DMK at bay till his death in 1989.

Since then the people of Tamil Nadu have been giving a chance to DMK and AIADMK alternately.

While Jayalalithaa won the 1991 elections, she was mauled badly by the DMK-TMC combine in the 1996 polls at the height of an anti-incumbency wave.

However, she bounced back in 2001 despite battling a series of corruption cases and defeated the DMK which had then aligned with the BJP.

But five-time Chief Minister DMK chief M Karunanidhi carefully scripted the screenplay for the 2006 polls and tilted the scales in his favour with the now famous freebies in the election manifesto.