Bypoll A Test Of Sympathy For Jaya

The February 6 byelection to the Pudukottai assembly constituency, nominations for which opened yesterday will serve as a barometer on the peoples response to the prosecution of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government on corruption charges.

Jayalalitha, who has been released on bail after arrest in six corruption cases, has appealed to all the opposition parties to adopt the nominee of her party, the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), as the common opposition candidate.

This, however, has evoked no response as the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) have already announced plans to contest the elections.

The seat was held by A Periyannan, (DMK), chief whip of the ruling party. He had won the seat by a large majority in the last elections, which the DMK swept in alliance with the G K Moopanar-led Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC), riding the crest of an anti-Jayalalitha wave.

It goes without saying that the ruling DMK would make every effort to retain the seat with a comfortable majority.

As of now, Jayalalithas call for a common opposition candidate at Pudukottai has been welcomed only by Subramanian Swamys Janata Party, whose candidate V S Chandralekha was backed by the AIADMK in the Chennai mayoral election last November. The election was easily won by DMK MLA and Chief Minister M Karunanidhis son M K Stalin.

In the byelection held for the Modakurichi assembly a little after the DMK government assumed office on May 13 last year, the ruling partys candidate and former minister Subbulakshmi Jagadeesan was elected with a comfortable win.

The AIADMK, which ruled the state for five years, with over 160 members in the 234-member legislative assembly, could muster only four seats in the last elections, with Jayalalitha herself being trounced.

In the two byelection held in 1989, when Karunanidhi was voted to power, the AIADMK had won both. This was seen as a reflection of

the voter sympathy for the major opposition party.

Meanwhile, N V N Selvam, former Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board Chairman and brother of Union minister of state for defence, N V N Somu, quit the AIADMK and joined the MGR Kazhagam.

The Kazhagam is the political wing of the MGR Manram, headed by R M Veerappan, former minister and arch rival of Jayalalitha.

Selvam was deputy general secretary of a faction of the MGR Manram which owed allegiance to Jayalalitha.

Party sources said Selvam joined the newly floated partyin the presence of party leaders Veerappan, Jagatharakshakan and others.In a statement here, Selvam said that he had joined the MGR Kazhagam to protect the name and fame of late Chief Minister M G Ramachandran which was in jeopardy in the AIADMK led by Jayalalitha.