LRS Tamilnadu correspondent
The ruling by the Madras high court on 20 September 2017 extending its stay on conduct of a floor test in Tamil Nadu assembly till further orders is one more twist and turn in the sordid drama taking place in the quest for political power in the Tamilnadu Assembly between various contenders including the party in power at the centre.
Recall that in May 2016, elections took place in Tamil Nadu, with open trading, buying of votes and use of muscle power. When it became too apparent, the Election Commission countermanded the elections, but that was only in two constituencies. Within a week of the elections, when the results were declared the AIADMK won 134 seats and Ms. Jayalalithaa was sworn in as CM. However, after 6 months, the CM passed away after hospitalisation for many weeks.
Then the tussle starts on who should be CM – Ms. Sasikala or Mr. Panneerselvam. While Mr. P steps back, Ms. S, is made the leader of the AIADMK. But he resigns and splits the Party. And what does she do? She whisks away 120 MLAs and puts them up, nay locks them up in a five star resort! This has become an almost routine tamasha!! But soon with the revoking of the earlier Karnataka Hugh Court Verdict, by the Supreme Court, she is counting the bars of the jail.
The party having split has an “amma faction” and a “PTA” faction. Amma’s faction brings in Palaniswami as CM. Both factions want to use the 2 leaves symbol! The fight goes on, with each showing evidence of money power and corruption in the Bypoll.
However, both the factions merge and Panneerselvam is given Deputy CM post. This was in August of this year. In August, a third contender, Dhinakaran, Sasikala’s nephew is made the Deputy General Secretary in the Party. He is now gunning against Palaniswami.
While all this was going on, including calling for investigation into the cause of Jaylalithaa’s death, the Party at the centre, was trying to see what mileage they could get out of the situation in terms gaining a foothold in the state.
The main opposition party DMK is demanding that the Governor calls for convening of the Assembly and a floor test – Vote of Confidence.
What does one make out of all this?
It is not a joke, it is disgusting and an attack on the sensibilities of the people of the state. It is like telling the people – “you don’t know how to govern, we know all about it, we are fighting to make sure you get the best leaders!”
Is this the type of parliamentary democracy we want? People have no say, except to vote and then they have to watch all this crass behaviour, corruption, fraud from their so called representatives? All the money that has been spent does not belong to any of these politicians, it is the hard earned money, paid through the hard work and taxes squeezed from the people.
The time has come to call all of them a bluff and build our people‘s committees to seriously discuss the kind of mechanisms that should be put in place to ensure that people select their candidates before elections, that the State funds elections, and the representative who gets elected renders periodic account of his or her work to the people of the constituency.
This surely would be a welcome start for building genuine democracy by the people and for the people!
