With the rival fronts about to finalise allocation of constituencies to their constituents, the focus will shift to selection of candidates this week.
Some smaller parties have already done that, presuming most of the constituencies they have sought will be allocated to them. Now that the alliances are almost final, there appears to be a balance between the formations. For almost every party the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led Demo-cratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) has in its ranks, the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) has tried to match it.
Interestingly, both the two formations can be called DPA: the AIADMK has called its alliance in Pondicherry Jananayaka Makkal Kootani, which can be translated as Democratic People''s Alliance. It is also to drive home the message that Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has an alliance "with the people."
But the more significant aspect of the combine that Ms. Jayala-lithaa has put together is that her party can flaunt just the same colours as the Opposition front - the AIADMK alliance will have a group of the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC); the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) will lend its Dravidian flag; there will be a Dalit party in the Dalit Panthers, a close friend of the Pattali Makkal Katchi; a couple of Muslim parties will bring in the green; and a splinter group of the All India Forward Bloc.
Two film-star formulations have been left out - Vijaykant and his Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam, and Karthik''s All India Forward Bloc.
While the DMK-led DPA plans to focus on the "misdeeds and misrule" of the "anti-people AIADMK regime," the ruling party has decided to seek a fresh mandate on the basis of its Government''s performance. There will be an equal emphasis on the "anti-people Government at the Centre," and the "anti-State activities or road blocks created by the Union Ministers from Tamil Nadu."
Government sources say if Ms. Jayalalithaa took "hard and unpopular decisions" in the first half of her tenure, it was because of the "fiscal crisis" she inherited from the DMK.
Over the past two years, she has not only steadied and impro-ved the finances, but also rolled back all the stiff measures and given back to the people what she had to take away earlier to get the State''s finances back on track.
"Today, nobody blames our Government for doing what it did. We are now in a position to afford these concessions because of the tough decisions our leader took early on. People now understand it and cannot be misled by the Opposition anymore," a senior functionary explains.
Though the State witnessed three drought years followed by the December 2004 tsunami and five spells of very heavy rain and flooding last year, the administration managed the situation "extremely well," the functionary says. If there are pockets where relief measures did not reach, the Government blames it on the Election Commission and the model code of conduct.
The AIADMK wants to go to town on the "short-shrift" the Centre has given the State.
Ms. Jayalalithaa will lead the attack against the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance Government at the Centre, with 13 Ministers from Tamil Nadu, for not doing enough for the State - relief not reaching in time, not enough funds allotted for tsunami relief and rehabilitation, blocking legislation to take over cable television networks, and a range of other issues, including the Centre''s "inability and indifference" to inter-State river disputes.
It promises to be a no-holds barred campaign this summer.
Some smaller parties have already done that, presuming most of the constituencies they have sought will be allocated to them. Now that the alliances are almost final, there appears to be a balance between the formations. For almost every party the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led Demo-cratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) has in its ranks, the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) has tried to match it.
Interestingly, both the two formations can be called DPA: the AIADMK has called its alliance in Pondicherry Jananayaka Makkal Kootani, which can be translated as Democratic People''s Alliance. It is also to drive home the message that Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has an alliance "with the people."
But the more significant aspect of the combine that Ms. Jayala-lithaa has put together is that her party can flaunt just the same colours as the Opposition front - the AIADMK alliance will have a group of the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC); the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) will lend its Dravidian flag; there will be a Dalit party in the Dalit Panthers, a close friend of the Pattali Makkal Katchi; a couple of Muslim parties will bring in the green; and a splinter group of the All India Forward Bloc.
Two film-star formulations have been left out - Vijaykant and his Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam, and Karthik''s All India Forward Bloc.
While the DMK-led DPA plans to focus on the "misdeeds and misrule" of the "anti-people AIADMK regime," the ruling party has decided to seek a fresh mandate on the basis of its Government''s performance. There will be an equal emphasis on the "anti-people Government at the Centre," and the "anti-State activities or road blocks created by the Union Ministers from Tamil Nadu."
Government sources say if Ms. Jayalalithaa took "hard and unpopular decisions" in the first half of her tenure, it was because of the "fiscal crisis" she inherited from the DMK.
Over the past two years, she has not only steadied and impro-ved the finances, but also rolled back all the stiff measures and given back to the people what she had to take away earlier to get the State''s finances back on track.
"Today, nobody blames our Government for doing what it did. We are now in a position to afford these concessions because of the tough decisions our leader took early on. People now understand it and cannot be misled by the Opposition anymore," a senior functionary explains.
Though the State witnessed three drought years followed by the December 2004 tsunami and five spells of very heavy rain and flooding last year, the administration managed the situation "extremely well," the functionary says. If there are pockets where relief measures did not reach, the Government blames it on the Election Commission and the model code of conduct.
The AIADMK wants to go to town on the "short-shrift" the Centre has given the State.
Ms. Jayalalithaa will lead the attack against the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance Government at the Centre, with 13 Ministers from Tamil Nadu, for not doing enough for the State - relief not reaching in time, not enough funds allotted for tsunami relief and rehabilitation, blocking legislation to take over cable television networks, and a range of other issues, including the Centre''s "inability and indifference" to inter-State river disputes.
It promises to be a no-holds barred campaign this summer.
