PMK president G.K. Mani opposed to use electronic voting machinefor the ensuing local body elections

         PMK president G.K. Mani on Sunday opposed the state election commission (SEC) move to use electronic voting machines (EVMs) for the ensuing local body elections.

         “We are not in favour of using EVMs in the local body elections. We had raised our objection to the SEC,” he told reporters here. The SEC has planned to use the EVMs in all the urban local bodies for the first time in the state.

          Mr Mani said that the state government should bring amendments to elect panchayat vice-chairman and district panchayat chairman directly, like the post of mayor and chairperson of municipality. “If the government bring in such an amendment, we will welcome it,” he said. In a separate statement, PMK founder Dr S. Ramadoss demanded that TN should recruit 48,313 teachers on seniority basis through employment exchange.

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Pattali Makkal Katchi Founder Ramadoss for abolition of death penalty in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case

            Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder S. Ramadoss on Sunday warned that the PMK would organise a motor rally towards Vellore from all parts of the State from September 6 if the State government failed to come to the rescue of three men facing the death penalty in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

          Announcing this at a conference held at Maraimalai Nagar to demand the abolition of the death penalty, the PMK founder said the fate of the three Tamils hinged on the State government's moves. He pleaded that the government get a resolution in this regard passed in the Assembly and follow it up with the Governor to ensure commutation of the death sentence awarded to Santhan, Murugan and Perarivalan, who are lodged in Vellore prison. Their execution has been fixed by jail authorities for September 9.

             If this did not happen, the PMK would organise a rally of motor vehicles towards Vellore from September 6 and bring 10 lakh people to the town on September 8. as the PMK founder wanted him to stay alive to spearhead a massive agitation in future to champion the cause of Sri Lankan Tamils. “I think this is the apt time for taking up such protest. Please announce the agitation,” he pleaded with Dr. Ramadoss. PMK president G.K.Mani, former MLAs and representatives of Tamil organisations participated in the conference.

கடலூர் மாவட்ட செய்திகள்

PMK was caught in people's fury against DMK & ADMK

        Former Union Minister and PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss on Wednesday said his party would no longer knock at the doors of Gopalapuram and Poes Garden and anyone seeking alliance with the PMK should visit Thailapuram.

          He also threw a challenge to the political parties, daring them to contest the local body elections independently to prove their strength and support base among the people.

Addressing the general council meeting of the party, 

            Mr. Anbumani said he was confident that the PMK would emerge the ruling party of Tamil Nadu after the 2016 Assembly elections. He said the PMK was caught in the “people's fury” against the DMK because it preferred to sail with it in the 2011 Assembly election and it was “by default” the AIADMK had become the ruling party. “Personally, I feel the defeat provided us an opportunity to introspect. If tsunami was turned into an opportunity for development of fishermen, our defeat can also be converted into an opportunity to strengthen the party structure,” he added.

               To drive home the point that both the DMK and AIADMK would eventually be weakened beyond redemption, he said if rampant groupism and family politics was ailing the DMK, the “ego” of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa would not augur well for the AIADMK. He called upon the partymen to celebrate the 22nd anniversary of the party by hoisting flags in every village unit. Earlier, PMK's legislative party leader and Vanniyar Sangam president J. Guru set the tone for political stand, saying switching alliances for the purpose of electoral gains and “itching for positions” resulted in the PMK losing its identity and self-respect.

              He said the party could not openly espouse the cause of the Sri Lankan Tamils when the civil war at its peak because it was part of Congress alliance and remained silent on 2 G spectrum scandal so as to notembarrass the DMK. Party leader G.K. Mani, who moved the political resolution, said the defeat of the PMK was actually a loss for people of Tamil Nadu.

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Heavy polling recorded in Salem, Namakkal districts

Proud voters:Women waiting to vote at Edapadi town in Salem district. 

Salem/Namakkal:

          While Salem registered a staggering 81.24 percent polling, a record of sorts since the 1957 elections, in the Assembly polls on Wednesday, Namakkal district did one better to post 82 percent.

         Of the 11 segments in Salem, seven registered above 80 percent while the rest recorded above 70 percent. Veerapandi registered a whopping 89.01 percent of polling at the close followed by 

Sankagiri (in percentage) - 85.98 , 

Edapadi 85.41, 

Omalur 83.36, 

Yercaud ST 83.23, G

engavalli Reserve 81.6, 

Attur Reserve 80.76, 

Salem South 78.71, 

Salem West 78.06, 

Mettur 75.06 and 

Salem North 74.40 percent.

          The polling at Taramangalam and Sankagiri towns falling under Sankagiri Assembly and Edapadi town in Edapadi saw good response from the voters since this morning. Within an hour, 15 percent of polling was recorded in various booths in the 11 segments of the district while it jumped to 35 per cent at noon.

 The first three hours of polling saw Omalur Assembly record 44 per cent followed by Salem South with 42 percent.

        At 3 pm, Yercaud ST posted the highest with 70 per cent followed by Edapadi 67, Salem South 63, Attur Reserve 61 and Omalur 60. Sankagiri, where Agriculture Minister Veerapandi S Arumugam, contested, Veerapandi, where his son A Rajendiran was DMK candidate and Mettur from where PMK president G K Mani sought re-election, all recorded 59 percent.

             But the pace of polling picked up soon after with many segments crossing the 70 percent mark. Yercaud registered a whopping 78.7 per cent followed by Veerapandi (78), Edapadi (72.7), Sankagiri (70.2 per cent) and Omalur (70) for a total percentage of 67.21.

The following was the percentage of votes recorded in the six Assembly segments in Namakkal district by close of polling at 5 p.m:

Rasipuram (SC) 81, 

Senthamangalam (ST) 81, 

Namakkal 82, 

Paramathi-Velur 80, 

Tiruchengode 82, and

Kumarapalayam 86.

         By the end of the day, the district's most inaccessible booths at Kelur and Kedamalai villages in Rasipuram Assembly segment had registered 76.6 and 75 per cent, respectively. Election officials said that close to 20 per cent of the polling was registered in the last two hours.

கடலூர் மாவட்ட செய்திகள்

மேட்டூர் சதுரங்காடியில் பா.ம.க. வேட்பாளர் ஜி.கே. மணியை ஆதரித்து தேர்தல் பிரசார பொதுக்கூட்டம்

            மேட்டூர் சதுரங்காடியில் பா.ம.க. வேட்பாளர் ஜி.கே. மணியை ஆதரித்து தேர்தல் பிரசார பொதுக்கூட்டம் நடந்தது. கூட்டத்தில் பா.ம.க. நிறுவனர் டாக்டர் ராமதாஸ் கலந்து கொண்டு ஜி.கே. மணியை ஆதரித்து பேசினார். 

அப்போதுபா.ம.க. நிறுவனர் டாக்டர் ராமதாஸ் கூறியது:

               கட்சித் தலைவர் என்ற முறையில் ஒருசில கிராமங்களுக்கு ஜி.கே. மணியினால் செல்ல முடியவில்லை. கட்சிப் பணியை அதிகமாக நான் அவருக்கு கொடுத்ததால் அவரால் செல்ல முடியவில்லை. அவர் பேசும்போது என்னுடைய அனுமதியுடன் ஒவ்வொரு வாரமும் கிராமத்திற்கு சென்று மக்களை சந்திப்போம் என்று கூறினார்.

              இதற்கு என்னுடைய அனுமதியே தேவை இல்லை. அவர் வாரம் ஒவ்வொரு கிராமத்திற்கு சென்று கண்டிப்பாக மக்களை சந்திப்பார். இந்த தொகுதி கடந்த 5 ஆண்டுகளில் அமைதி பூங்காவாக  இருந்ததை அனைவரும்  அறிவீர்கள். பகைவர்களுக்கு கூட அருளும் நல்ல  நெஞ்சம் கொண்டவர் அவர். கட்சி, இனம், மதம் என்ற வேறுபாடு இன்றி அனைத்து தரப்பினர்களிடையேயும் பழகுவார்.

              யாரும் இவரை குறை சொல்ல முடியாது. எவரிடமும் ஒரு ரூபாய் கூட லஞ்சம் வாங்கதாதவர். இவருடைய தொண்டு தூய்மையானதாக இருப்பது அனைவரும் அறிந்தது. ஜி.கே.மணி வெற்றியை தடுக்க முடியாது. ஆகவே எதிர்த்து நிற்பவரை டெபாசிட் இழக்கச் செய்ய வேண்டும் என்றார்.

கடலூர் மாவட்ட செய்திகள்

AIADMK will pull back DMK's welfare schemes: PMK

Dr S. Ramadoss (left) at a meeting in Salem on Wednesday. Veerapandi S. Arumugam (centre) and G.K.Mani are also seen.

SALEM: 

        Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder leader S Ramadoss took part in a series of road side meetings in Salem city campaigning for the candidates of Dravida Munnetra Kazhgam (DMK)-led alliance on Wednesday.

           Dr Ramadoss commenced his campaign with a meeting at Dadagapatti followed by meetings at Panamarathupatti, Salem Junction, Omalur, Mettur, Nangavalli and Elampillai. The Pattali Makkal Katchi leader said that if the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) was voted to power, all welfare schemes which Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam had initiated would be withdrawn.

        He said that at the public meeting in Chennai, DMK chief M Karunanidhi had presented a list of demands for Tamil Nadu to Congress President Sonia Gandhi. “These can be realised only when DMK alliance is voted to power,” he said. He campaigned for DMK candidates S R Sivalingam, R Rajendiran and A Rajendiran, Congress candidate Jayaprakash and PMK candidates Tamilarasu, M Karthee and G K Mani. Earlier, on Tuesday DMK leader K Veeramani campaigned forDPA alliance candidates in Salem district.

Sethu Samudhram

        At a meeting in Omalur where he campaigned for PMK candidate Tamilarasu, he blamed the AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa for stopping the Sethu Samudhram project. The project, if completed, would have made availabe the promised jobs to many and overall development to Tamil Nadu.

கடலூர் மாவட்ட செய்திகள்

PMK president G.K.Mani files papers for Mettur Assembly segment

SALEM: 

          Nominees of PMK filed  nomination papers here on Thursday. PMK's president G. K. Mani, seeking re-election from Mettur Assembly segment, filed his papers before the Election Officer and RDO P. P. Velu.

             He was accompanied by DMK senior leader and Sankagiri DMK candidate Veerapandi S. Arumugam and other functionaries of alliance parties. Mr. Mani in his affidavit had filed information about assets worth Rs. 24.44 lakh in which the movable assets worth Rs. 13.57 lakh and immovable assets worth Rs. 10.87 lakh had been included.

     

கடலூர் மாவட்ட செய்திகள்

DMK, PMK to hold series of meetings today

SALEM: 

           The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led alliance has set the campaign mode on motion in 11 Assembly segments of the Salem district.

         The Salem District DMK secretary and Sankagiri candidate Veerapandi S Arumugam has announced that a series of meeting will be organised on Tuesday in Salem, Omalur, Mettur and Edapadi where DMK and PMK candidates are contesting in which PMK founder leader Dr S Ramadoss, its president and Mettur candidate G K Mani, Kongu Munnetra Kazhagam ‘Best' Ramasamy and TNCC President K V Thankgabalu will participate.

            Besides the Indian Union Muslim League state vice-president M P Kader Hussain, Viduthalai Cherthai Katchi Salem district secretary R Navarasan and other district functionaries of alliance partners along with contestants also will take part. The important points in the election manifestoes of DMK, PMK and other alliance parties should be taken to the electorate. While the Salem meeting will be for the functionaries of alliance parties, the other meetings will be held for cadre and functionaries. After the meetings PMK's Dr Ramadoss is expected to begin his campaign from here.

          Meanwhile Thamizhaga Anaithu Nayudus and Nayakkar Mahajana Peravai have extended support to the DMK-led alliance for the Assembly polls. Its state president R K Jayakumar met Mr. Arumugam on Tuesday and conveyed his outfit's decision.

கடலூர் மாவட்ட செய்திகள்

PMK proposes to field more new faces

PMK founder S. Ramadoss interviewing a candidate aspiring to contest the election, at Thailapuram near Tindivanam on Sunday.

TINDIVANAM: 

        The Pattali Makkal Katchi has proposed to field more new faces, particularly youths, in the Assembly elections, according to S. Ramadoss, its founder.

         He told reporters at Thailapuram near here on Sunday that a list of candidates would be ready in a day or two. The party president, G.K. Mani, was in Chennai giving final touches to the seat-sharing arrangement. In all 6,150 candidates, of them 10 per cent were women, had aspired to contest the elections. Asked how many women could be accommodated in the list, Dr. Ramadoss said that it depended on various factors such as the aptitude of the candidates, their qualifications, involvement in the party works and the winning chances.

        As for the seat-sharing arrangement with the DMK, Dr. Ramadoss said that everything would be O.K. in a couple of days. About the party's election plank, Dr. Ramadoss said that besides delineating the party's policies and programmes, it would highlight several good things done by the DMK government such as the much-talked about Kalaignar Health Scheme, Kalaignar Housing Scheme, “108” ambulance service and the 100-day job scheme. Dr. Ramadoss ruled said that 75 per cent of the work on the party manifesto was over and it would be ready in a week.

Food security

           The thrust would be on achieving food security and ensuring remunerative prices for agricultural produce.

கடலூர் மாவட்ட செய்திகள்

G.K. Mani, 3 PMK MLAs meet Veerapandi Arumugam

PMK MLAs, including G.K. Mani, coming out after meeting Agriculture Minister Veerapandi S. Arumugam in Salem on Saturday.  

SALEM: 

           Three PMK legislators from Salem district, who have been at loggerheads with Agriculture Minister and DMK Salem district secretary, Veerapandi S. Arumugam, met him along with PMK president G.K. Mani here on Saturday.

           Mr. Mani, also an MLA from Mettur, refused to attach any significance, “politically or otherwise,” to the meeting, which he said was “very, very cordial.” “We discussed issues concerning about the development schemes being carried out in the district, which included our long-pending demand for utilising surplus water from the Mettur dam and the need for restoring traffic on the Ellis saddle bridge of Stanley reservoir. The Minister gave a patient hearing and promised to look into them,” he said.

            The PMK MLAs — A. Tamilarasu (Omalur), V. Kavery (Edapadi) and C. Kannaiyan (Taramangalam) — had spoken of a revolt against the Minister even when their party was in alliance with the DMK. They had openly accused him of neglecting them and treating them shabbily at many public forums, meetings and even at press conferences. Barring Mr. Mani, they were skipping all government functions attended by the Minister for the last three years, claiming they were not properly invited. Asked whether the meeting had sorted out the differences, Mr. Mani said that nothing of that sort had taken place. “Everything is fine. We have been interacting with the Minister frequently on people's issues and I have been attending functions with him regularly. Now we have invited him to other functions too especially in the areas falling under all our constituencies.”

                    Reacting to the MLAs' criticism in the past and on the latest development, Mr. Arumugam, told The Hindu that he was “very happy” that the three MLAs had met him and expressed regret for what had happened. “It is nothing but a few minor irritants and to be dismissed forthwith.” The MLAs had invited him for functions in their Assembly segments.

கடலூர் மாவட்ட செய்திகள்