Vijayakant to forge alliance 'desired by people'

SIVAKASI (TN): Actor-politician Vijayakant on Sunday said he would forge an alliance 'desired by the people' for the state assembly elections next year.

"I will form a 'makkal virumbum kootani' (alliance desired by people)," the DMDK founder leader said at a party function here.

He said his volunteers and people need not be confused about his new policy and asserted his alliance would not be with a party that would give a share of 30 or 40 seats.

While announcing the shift in his stand of going it alone, Vijayakant had last month said he would lead an alliance excluding ruling DMK and opposition AIADMK.Since its formation in 2005, the DMDK had so far contested all polls on its own.

Elaborating on it, Vijaykant said on Sunday why should he form a new party if DMK and AIADMK had done good to the people.

The two major Dravidian parties were having alliance with one party or the other to win polls and indulge in corruption.

They failed to eradicate poverty and unemployment, he charged.

However, his criticism was more severe against the ruling DMK which he alleged had failed to control the prices and allowed the law and order to deteriorate. "DMK is making a wrong calculation that it could win by paying for the votes," he said referring to allegations of use of money during byelections in the last 2-3 years.

Referring to the free pump sets for farmers announced by Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on August 15, Vijayakant asked what would be use of free pump sets to farmers, if there was no power in the state.

He alleged that the DMK government organised the World Tamil Classical conference recently only to cover the 'total betrayal' of Sri Lankan Tamils by the Central and Tamil Nadu governments.