The Chief Ministerial Debates

Just a thought…

During the US Presidential elections, the two main candidates face off in three pre-election debates. This gives each candidate to explain his position and policies. The incumbent can defend his administration's actions, and extol his achievements, whereas the challenger can point out the shortcomings. The debates are televised and attract a huge audience, and offer the viewing public a chance to evaluate one candidate vis-a-vis the other.

I'm wondering why not we have such debates in India. Of course, the Parliamentary elections throw up a new candidate each time, so it may not be possible. But in a state like Tamil Nadu, where the hanging chads point one way or the other, a debate featuring the supremos of the two fronts is technically possible.

Recently, I had posted a campaign speech of the Finance Minister, Mr. P. Chidambaram, in which he had alleged that the Tamil Nadu Government had claimed very little of the actual money allocated by the Centre, but was it cribbing that funds were not allocated sufficiently. In response to this, a reader had questioned the timing of this allegation, asking why the FM had not responded to the State Govt's accusation, and why he chose the campaign plank to rake up the issue. If the Government and the Opposition (or their respective leaders) could indulge in an open televised debate outside the Assembly, such allegations can be sorted out.

The point here is that while each leader reels off accusations, the other parties need not respond to those accusations directly. This would, however, be necessary in a live debate. Without doubt, the leaders of the two fronts, Ms Jayalalithaa and Mr Karunanidhi are the tallest campaigners in the state. A live face-off between the two off them? Just the thought is mouth-watering!

Constituency Watch – Thondamuthur

Two political heavy-weights, SR Balasubramaniam (Congress) and M Kanappan (MDMK) are squaring off against each other in the Thondamuthur assembly constituency located in the Coimbatore district.

Both candidates have been Union Ministers in the past. SR Balasubramaniam is currently the floor leader of Congress party in the TN Assembly. In the last election, he became a MLA from Thondamuthur constituency winning by a convincing margin of 28,000 votes against VR Sunkanya of the DMK. M Kanappan is currently the treasurer of the MDMK. He was earlier Member of Parliament from the Tiruchengode parliamentary segment and served as Union Minister in the Vajpayee Government.

Interestingly, both the candidates are not natives of Thondamuthur. SR Balasubramaniam is expect to face anti-incumbency because of his lackluster performance as a MLA of this constituency for the past 5 years. Moreover, inter-party rivalry between various factions in the Congress will affect his prospects. Kanappan however doesn’t have any such problems. He can expect the backing of the rank and file of the party. However, he would need the complete backing of the ADMK to emerge victorious from this constituency. Given the high-profile nature of the contest many leaders of both the parties have been campaigning here. Barring any dramatic developments in the next few weeks to election, the outcome of the election is expected to be very close.

Personality Watch – S Ramadoss

One of the most important power players in TN politics today is the PMK founder S Ramadoss. Ramadoss was a doctor by profession before he decided to plunge into politics. He enjoys considerable support in the Vanniyar community, a dominant caste in the northern parts of TN especially in Chennai, Tiruchi, Salem, Cuddalore, and Kancheepuram districts.

His outfit the PMK has always had a violent past. In fact his rivalry with DPI founder Thirumavalavan is well known. However, the two have patched up since. In the recent past, Ramadoss has also had clashes with big wings in the Tamil film industry. His denunciation of Rajnikanth prior to the release of film 'Baba' is well known to all. In spite of all this, Ramadoss still enjoys considerable clout. This is because of the concentration of his supporters in key swing districts.

His equation with Karunanidhi and Jayalalitha has always been mixed. Ramadoss has switched sides between ADMK and DMK on numerous occasions. This election, Ramadoss's PMK is contesting as part of the DMK led DPA alliance. His party is contesting in 31 seats. With a close election on the cards, Ramadoss is likely to play a crucial role in the formation of the next government.