DMK-PMK bhai-bhai
Interestingly, Karunanidhi has used PMK founder S Ramadoss’ complaint -- that the EC is biased -- to hit the EC. Now Ramadoss has renewed his complaint because the Pennagaram bypoll, which has been postponed, is going to ensure the seat will slip out of his grasp since he is on his own after breaking off with the AIADMK. His efforts to get back into the DMK coalition have not been successful. Last month, Ramadoss had said, “In the 1991 elections, PMK won the seat on its own with a margin of around 32,000 votes. In 1996, the party retained the seat. However, in 2006, due to pressure the seat was given to the DMK. Now we are not in the DMK alliance and we are contesting.” And that is why he had written letters to the left parties appealing for their support to his candidate (another son rise – PMK president G K Mani’s son Thamizhkumaran is the candidate in Pennagaram) because he had felt that the PMK would get home and dry by 40,000 votes. “We have to defeat the DMK to protect democracy from ‘cashocracy’,” he had argued. But allies including the left ignored his appeal. There is hope for him because he could interpret the CM’s attack on the EC as Karunanidhi softening towards him. As they say, my enemy’s enemy is my friend.
Love is dear
Thanks to the marketing blitzkrieg, Valentine’s Day, an export from the west, has become so big that young people are seen as losers if they don’t get a piece of the action (a word I use advisedly). The Ram Sene had prepared its platter with mangalsutra, coconut and kumkum for those unfortunate enough to be caught in a PDA (Public Demonstration of Action). [He got a taste of his own medicine today when his face was blackened] The Shiv Sena is focusing its energies on disrupting My Name is Khan. Incidentally, why should the state spend crores on giving security to theatres? Shouldn’t Karan Johar be coughing it up or shouldn’t multiplex owners at least pay part of the cost considering one pays an arm and a leg for tickets? After all, if the state pays, it only means your tax bucks are underwriting it so it will be a double whammy for the aam aadmi? Let's put it down to the price we pay for being a democracy.