Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu go to Assembly Poll today

Kerala, Puducherry, TN go to Assembly Poll today Kerala is going to polls on Wednesday to elect 140 members of the state Assembly after an acrimonious campaign marred by sporadic clashes in the concluding moments between workers of ruling CPI(M) led LDF and opposition Congress-headed UDF, the main contenders for power. The electoral battle is intense in all the 140 segments between UDF and LDF with no wave is palpable in favour of either of the coalitions. In at least two segments in up-north and down-south BJP has been able to make the contest three-cornered. The concluding phase of the campaign had been unusually acrimonious with leaders from both sides trading charges, which at times slipped into the level of personal attacks. After remaining peaceful mostly, the scene witnessed widespread clashes in the dying moments of the campaign in which several persons were injured including minister and LDF candidate V Surendran Pillai. Chief Minister and CPI(M) veteran V S Achuthanandan has been the star-campaigner of the LDF. Congress leader and Defence Minister A K Antony was on the forefront of UDF camaign addressing scores of meetings for 11 days at a stretch. National leaders, who came to address election meetings included Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, BJP leader L K Advani, AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi and Chief Ministers Mawyawai and Narendra Modi. In 2006, LDF won 98 seats and UDF 42, which was almost the reveral of 2001 tally, living upto to the state's reputation of alternating between the two coalitions every five years. In the initial stages, UDF appeared to have a clear edge in view of its splendid performance in the Lok Sabha and civic polls by Congress and its allies. As the campaign gained momentum LDF succeeded in taking the fight to the UDF camp. High profile candidates in the fray include Achuthanandan (Malampuzha), UDF's Chief Ministerial probable Oomen Chandy (Puthupally), KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala (Harippad), CPI(M) polit bureau member Kodiyeri Blakrishnan (Thalassery), Muslim League leader P K Kunhalikutty (Vengara), Kerala Congress (M) supremo K M Mani (Pala) and senior BJP leader O Rajagopal (Nemom). Elections this time are also significant for Kerala as these are the first polls after NRIs got voting rights. However, only 8862 NRIs have registered as voters while an estimated 2.2 million Keralites are working abroad, mostly in Gulf countries. A total of 971 candidates are in the fray, a majority of them independents. The state has a total electorate of 2.31 crore. According to Chief Eelectoral Officer Nalini Netto, 3703 polling stations have been identified as sensitive. D-day for DMK, AIADMK After an acrimonious fourteen-day election campaign, arch rivals ruling DMK and opposition AIADMK have held their breath as the over 4.6 crore-strong electorate in Tamil Nadu will decide who among them will assert political supremacy on polling day on Wednesday. Political heavyweights among the 2,773 candidates who will have their fates sealed include DMK leader and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi (Tiruvarur), his arch rival and AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa (Srirangam), Karunanidhi's son and Deputy Chief Minister M K Stalin (Kolathur) and DMDK actor-founder Vijayakanth (Rishivandyam). Both Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa had confidently asserted during a no holds barred campaign for the Assembly election that their party would form the next government. Electioneering was on a quiet mode this time around without the usual poll trappings like writings on walls and posters due to the Election Commission's hawk eyed vigil. Personal attacks against Karunanidhi and his family members by Jayalalithaa and Vijayakant and against the AIADMK chief by Stalin, as well as complaints by rival party leaders against each other to the EC forced the Commission to send notices to these leaders, seeking explanations. The EC had imposed a lot of restrictions and transferred some District Collectors, DGP and other top police officials on complaints that they were acting in a partisan manner. The Commission's actions had prompted Karunanidhi, who harped on the theme of development during the campaign, to go hammer and tongs against it, charging the EC with seeming to favour the Opposition and even stating that Tamil Nadu was under a 'mini Emergency'. His bete noire Jayalalithaa on the other hand targeted him over "rampant corruption" and "collapse" of law and order and asked the voters to rid the state of the DMK patriarch's 'family rule'. Hike in prices of essential commodities and frequent power cuts were issues picked up by the Opposition to attack the DMK government during the campaign. A host of national leaders including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, AICC President Sonia Gandhi, AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, BJP leaders L K Advani, Nitin Gadkari, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Narendra Modi, Left leaders Prakash Karat and A B Bardhan had descended on Tamil Nadu during the fortnight to campaign for their party's nominees. The ruling DMK is contesting 119 seats in the 234 member Assembly, leaving 63 seats to Congress, 30 to PMK, 10 to Viduthalai Chirutagal Katchi, seven to Kongu Munnetra Katchi, three to IUML and one each to Moovendar Munnetra Kazhagam and Perunthalaivar Katchi. AIADMK is contesting 162 seats and has allocated 41 seats to DMDK, 12 to CPI-M, 10 to CPI, three to Manitha Neya Makkal Matchi, two to All India Samuthuva Makkal Katchi, one each to AIFB, All India Movendar Munnetra Kazhagam, RPI and Kongu Ilaginar Peravai. In Puducherry, all necessary arrangements are being made for the peaceful polling on Wednesday. Over 8.10 lakh electorates will decide the fate of 187 candidates including 79 Independents in the Assembly elections on Wednesday. For the first time in the Union Territory, all the 851 polling booths have been connected with webcasting to monitor the polling process. Electronic voting machines and other materials for the poll is being taken to the booths on Tuesday afternoon. Ten companies of Para-military forces along with local police and home guards are deployed for security in the Union Territory. Additional security arrangements have been provided in 102 polling booths which are identified as vulnerable. All liquor shops in the Union Territory will remain closed.