Shibu Soren - the new King

Just three years ago, Shibu Soren had the dubious distinction of being the first union minister to be convicted. Now, he rules the roost at Jharkhand. In the recent assembly elections, people have handed over a fractured mandate, which places Shibu Shoren in a comfortable position where his word is the command.

"I do not want to be kingmaker, I want to be king. It's not important now what Arjun Munda (of the BJP) and Babulal Marandi (of the JVM-P) are stating. Now everything depends on me," Soren told reporters in Bokaro - IBNLive..

- Vaazhga Jananayagham!

Awards

Couldn't resist from posting - From Luckylookonline.com-CM's State Film Award for Uliyin Osai.. The debate has slowed down because of another award - Obama's nobel peace prize.

Justice and Lack of Evidence

The whole nation watched the horrific murder of Ujjain professor HS Sabharwal on all the news channels. We saw the entire drama unfold - elections in college annulled - Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) mob enters college - demonstration - and finally the professor is being taken to the hospital almost dead. It was a very shocking footage.

Now, what we get to see in the courts.. the accused are set free citing lack of evidence.

Whats happening in Bengal?

Lalgarh is literally cutoff from the rest of the country. It is virtually a challenge to the democracy of this country and what we get to see: another round of shameful politics being played out.

The state ruling party says, opposition is giving tactical support to the protests; wants to avoid another Nandigram (Elections have taught the Reds a bitter lesson). Heights was yesterday, when our beloved home minister PC said 'Use your own forces'. But guess.. better sense prevailed and paramilitary troops have been dispatched.

It all started with an assassination attempt at the CM and police scooped down to harass tribals. People retaliated and maoists found a good reason to push their own agenda. Naxal- Maoists show of strength shows on one hand growing unrest among common people and on the other hand utter collapse of the political machinery.

Vijayakanth ensures DMK's win

So much for policies and campaigning....DMK can now heave a sigh of relief. Shrewdly they left out Vijayakanth from their alliance knowing it would favour them at the end.
DMDK has emerged as a third force, by cutting into AIADMK's vote base and splitting the anti-incumbency votes. In many constituencies DMDK has polled more votes than the winning margin. They have significantly increased the vote share from 8% to 10% - i.e, almost 30 lakh votes. Quite impressive. Tamilnadu has traditionally seen only two party system..a third alternative is welcome.

Now, the comedy circus would begin in Delhi...M.K.Alagiri, M.K.Kanimozhi, Dayanidhi Maran would become ministers and would continue their service to the poor and downtrodden of the tamil community. Long live Democracy.

Eelam Genocide

My colleague Kudi's thoughts

இலங்கை
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தெற்கு ஆசிய வரைபடத்தில் - இலங்கையை

பள்ளிப்பருவத்தில் பார்த்தபோது
தண்ணீர்த் துளியாய்த் தெரிந்தது !!

கல்லூரி நாட்களில்
கண்ணீர்த் துளியாய்த் தெரிந்தது !!

இப்போது
ரத்தத் துளியாய் மட்டுமே தெரிகிறது !!

Vote - anti climax

My name was deleted from the voters list. This is the first election that I didn't get to vote. The process needs serious improvement.

Out of mind

Clear signs of being 'out of mind'. Karunanidhi is trying desperately to hold on to 'இனமான காவலர்'tag but failing miserably..his latest statement is sure to add fuel to the fire.
"Even if Prabhakaran loses, treat him like Porus," the DMK patriarch said, pointing to the historical episode involving Alexander the Great and Indian ruler Porus who was treated with dignity and honour by the Greek emperor despite losing against him in a battle. "When asked by Alexander, Porus said he wanted to be treated like a king, which Alexander duly obliged. "It shows the magnanimity of Alexander who gave equal respect (to a man defeated by him)," he said. [ source: chennai online]

Meanwhile, Vijayakanth has fired his next salvo: Vijayakant has said his party was ready to boycott the Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu on Sri Lankan Tamil's issue, if AIADMK and DMK also do so.

All of them are busy scoring brownie points here and the Genocide continues there :-(

Veera Thalapathy

Amazing....
Veera Thalapathy J.K.Ritheesh, the super star in the movie 'Nayagan' gets to fight for LS seat in Ramanathapuram. No more movies from him?..sad..we will miss the fun..
http://jkritheesh.com/portfolio.htm

Vijayakanth - Early Bird

While the other parties are still breaking their heads over alliances, Vijayakanth has announced his first list of contestants and has already started his campaign. I was quite surprised to see - K Pandiarajan, founder of Ma Foi Management Consultants limited, as a DMDK candidate for virudhunagar constituency

Always thought the input to politics were - 1. political family 2. Film 3. Local gundas who graduate to councilor, வட்டம், மாவட்டம், MLA, Minister..

BJP's Google Adwords Campaign

Advani for PM
A Leader Committed to
Clean Politics, Good Governance

lkadvani.in/bjpleadership

Reasonably good Adword optimization! for Indian Politics - keyword search

LK Advani's Official Blog
Shri Advani shares his thoughts
on issues of national importance.

blog.lkadvani.in/

Ad for keyword - LokSabha Elections

So, you have people sitting in BJP's office trying all options to get the best CostPerClick, impressions and conversion... But they are coming on top for all such keywords - simple, they are the only people bidding for these keywords!!

Wonder ..what would be BJP's adwords budget!!!

Hail Tamar people

Shibu Shoren's Shameful saga continues..[this post was written way back in 2006...]
But some faith in democracy has been restored by the Tamar assembly constituency people. That by-poll defeat was a grand kick in the butt. After dilly dallying for more than 5 days, he has finally put in his papers. But the issue is yet to settle down...more drama is expected in the next few days.

Free Pongal

Already - the gas is free, Now the ingredients for making sweet pongal (a traditional dish that is made on pongal day in TN) - raw rice (500 gm), sugar candy (500 gm), moong dhal (paasiparuppu — 100 gm), cashew, dry grapes and cardamom (20 gm), would be given for free, through ration shops between January 1 and 14.
Simply amazing..Wonder how they get such ideas? Now, what abt the utensils for making sweet pongal????

Joke-o-Joke-6

Back to chennai politics... PMK & DMK are moving closer. So what's the olive branch?
The govt is withdrawing the criminal case [ filed under national security act] against kaadu vetti guru, whose arrest was a precursor to the split between DMK & PMK. The police dept is now a laughing stock!

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News in News

Hmm..Nowadays..Sun TV news looks very similar to Jaya TV news...
Sign of fast changing equations.. Anything can happen in TN!!!

Joke-O-Joke-5

The Congress denied allegations of the United Progressive Alliance government indulging in “horse-trading” or “hobnobbing with power brokers” to shore up a majority during the trust vote in the Lok Sabha on July 22. - Hindu

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Rare photo

TN CM Karunanidhi without his trademark dark glasses ..clicked by vikatan during his Bday celebrations.

Knife politics in TN

I was quite shocked to read Tha.Pandian, CPI's secretary's interview in Ananda Vikatan. The interview goes on the usual lines like congress bashing [interestingly, he lambasts Sonia for having picked up Manmohan Singh & Chidambaram] , nuclear deal bashing...etc.
The last Q:

''கம்யூனிஸ்ட் தொண்டர்கள் கையில் சிறுகத்தி வைத்துக்கொள்ளுங்கள்!' என்று அறிவித்திருக் கிறீர்களே, வன்முறைப் பாதைக்கு நீங்களும் மாறுகிறீர்களா..?''

[Why have you advised cadres to have small knife with them.Have you also resorted to violent path?]
Answer:

''இந்திரா காந்தி, ராஜீவ் காந்தி, ஆலடி அருணா, தா.கிருஷ்ணன், பூண்டி கலைச்செல்வம் போன்றவர்களைக் கொன்றவர்கள் கம்யூனிஸ்ட் தொண்டர்களா? மதுரை சன் டிவி அலுவலகத்தில் உயிர் பலி வாங்கியது கம்யூ னிஸ்ட்டுகளா? மணல் திருடர் களைத் தட்டிக்கேட்ட எங்கள் தோழன் ஜெயக்குமாரை வெட்டிக் கொன்றிருக்கிறார்கள்! எனவே, தற்காப்புக்காகத்தான் எங்கள் தோழர்களைக் கையில் கத்தி வைத்துக்கொள்ளச் சொன்னேன்.

சமூக விரோதிகளிடம் கம்யூனிஸ்ட்டுகள் வெட்டுண்டு விழுவது கட்சிக்கு அவமானம். எங்கள் தொண்டர்களுக்கு கத்தி, லத்தி என ஆயுதப் பயிற்சி அளிக்க இருக்கிறோம். ஆயுதங்கள் இல்லாமல் இனி தமிழ்நாட்டில் அரசியல் நடத்த முடியாது! சமூக விரோதி யிடம் இருக்கும் கத்திக்கும் சமூகத் தொண்டனிடம் இருக்கும் கத்திக்கும் வித்தியாசம் உண்டு!''

[Imp. point in the answer: I have asked them to have knives for their own safety. We have planned for knife, lathi kind of arms training to our cadres. Without arms, you can't do politics in Tamilnadu. There is a difference in the knife that a social enemy has and the knife that social loyalist has]

Long live Democracy!

Most productive debate - TN State Assembly

With umpteen number of people issues screaming for Government's attention and action, the MLAs & Ministers found Shriya's & Namitha's dressing sense dangerous enough to warrant a debate in the state assembly.

With PMK taking a hardliner stand on this issue, wanted the government to intervene & save the 'Tamil Culture'. The DMK discussed in 'length' on where all the government could not pass the regulations. Wonder what the next scene would be?

This just adds to the list of all shameful incidents & speeches at the Assembly.

Punch-O-Punch

"If these people feel so threatened they should not come out in public places."

CNN-IBN - This comes in the order abt security for politicians - the Delhi High Court observed that politicians were not a "national asset" that should be protected.

Wonder what Madras High court will say in Jaya's security case???