According to some reports, a whopping Rs. 30,000 crore is likely to be spent by the government, political parties and candidates in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, making it by far the most expensive electoral exercise in Indian history. A study carried out by Centre for Media Studies on poll spendings says "unaccounted for" money pumped in by "crorepati" candidates, corporates and contractors has pushed up the expenditure to elect 543 MPs.
Thiruvallikkeni [Triplicane] where I live, was an Assembly segment and fell under South Madras ~ with the recent delimitation exercise, which we protested, Triplicane is now – ‘Chepauk Triplicane’ falling under Chennai Central. Chennai Central comprises of : Villivakkam; Egmore (SC); Harbour; Chepauk-Thiruvallikkeni; Thousand Lights & Anna Nagar. Tamilnadu is witnessing a multi-pronged contest – with AIADMK; DMK; BJP front; Congress; Communists; the also ran AAPs and independents ….. at the National scene much concentration is on the destination of choice during hindu marriages…………. Trip to Kashi ‘kasi yatra’ is an integral part of wedding – when the groom after gurukula goes to Kasi but is stopped, enticed and given the bride ….. there an umbella and a stick are the emblems …. At Varanasi, for sure, they are different as Na Mo is contesting from there. Back home, CM Ms J Jayalalithaa made a headstart by announcing candidates much much earlier than everybody else – on the occasion of her 66th birthday. Some other parties are still unable to finalise their mates and some are yet to announce candidates…….. there are reports that top leaders in Congress are staying away from the polls for obvious reasons. In the third list released scam-tainted Suresh Kalmadi was denied ticket by Congress which fielded young leader Vishwajeet Kadam in his place as it released the third list of 58 candidates for the Lok Sabha polls naming several Union ministers and senior leaders. Former Team India captain Mohd Azharuddin, who is a sitting member from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh, was shifted to Tonk-Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan having substantial minority population. During the last elections in Uttar Pradesh if the Election Commission (EC) had ordered masking of the umpteen elephant statues that Mayavati had erected across the state. Here in Tamil Nadu in 2014, they issued orders to cover CM’s pictures on the boards of "Amma Unvagam" (Amma Canteens), her block-buster food security initiative that serves hot cooked meals to thousands of people every day. On Friday, City Corporation officials, on orders from the Election Commission, were busy removing her pictures as well as blacking them out. Also to go out was her images from the Forest Department's tree-planting initiative and the Amma drinking water. In Court, AIADMK is quoted as asking whether ‘the rising sun and hand too’ would be covered.With regards – S. Sampathkumar.
18th Mar 2014.