Vaiko says he is firm on his decision to not contest polls

A day after announcing that he would not contest the May 16 Tamil Nadu polls, MDMK chief Vaiko today said he will stand firm on his decision.
Vaiko, a key architect of the DMDK-PWF-TMC combine, had yesterday alleged that the DMK was planning to create "caste violence" in Kovilpatti constituency, from where he had earlier planned to contest.
"I am firm on my decision to not to contest," he told reporters here.
"DMK has hatched a plot to create tension in Kovilpatti between Thevar and Naicker communities by using my name and make me an accused, preventing me from contesting polls," Vaiko alleged.

Claiming that he was always "above caste politics", Vaiko said he backed out from contesting the poll so that it could "help to avoid triggering caste clashes".
"Despite the requests from the People's Welfare Front leaders to reconsider the decision, I am firm on it. It is not a drama," he said.

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Vaiko said the manifestof of Peoples' Welfare Front (PWF) would be released on April 28 and it will have various schemes to generate money to the exchequer.
Many eyebrows were raised to know how the PWF government, if came to power, will raise the money, once total prohibition was introduced, by which a revenue of Rs 29,000 crore would be lost to the exchequer, Vaiko said.

The front has various schemes to generate the necessary fund, which will be highlighted in the manifesto, he said.
Schemes would also be introduced for the farmers and problems in the industrial sectors like Powerloom, Handloom and Knitwear, will be solved by putting in place single window system, by which licences will be issued within 30 days.
The front and its partners DMDK and TMC have already announced to waive the students' educational loans and farmers loans, he said.