Free grinders smashed Karunanidhi
Former chief minister Jayalaithaa was on Sunday elected leader of the AIADMK legislature party.
COIMBATORE: Clearly, the average voter's expectations soar with every election as much as the skyrocketing prices of essentials. And a vote for change, they believe, would bring them more benefits. But was it a mere toss between a mixer and a grinder that swung the vote? Ahead of the polls, DMK and AIADMK had unleashed a war of populism. And Verdict 2011, in a way, turned out to be a battle of freebies versus more freebies.
The DMK regime, in the last five years, distributed one kg rice for one rupee and gas stoves besides TV sets to all households.
The DMK regime, in the last five years, distributed one kg rice for one rupee and gas stoves besides TV sets to all households.
In the march towards a welfare state, Karunanidhi even introduced free medical insurance for the poor — TN is only the second state in the country to do so — as well as a housing scheme for the underprivilged was a populist overdrive that had changed rural voting patterns in favour of the DMK in the last few years.
It was expected to blunt the effect of the 2G scandal on the ruling party during the assembly polls too. DMK chief M Karunanidhi even harped on the "overwhelming sense of gratitude" of rural Tamil Nadu. "We have delivered not just what we promised before the 2006 election, but much more. And the people will back us," was M K Stalin's assessment.
Perhaps a promise delivered creates goodwill, but not as much as the promise of more. DMK promised a free mixer or grinder for each household in Tamil Nadu in its 2011 manifesto.Jayalalithaa went a step ahead and offered both a mixer and a grinder, plus a fan, plus four grams of gold as marriage assistance for poor women and laptops for students.
The message was obvious: freebies were not the DMK's monopoly nor could they be allowed to come in the way of rising voter expectations for a cleaner government. In the end, political commentator Gnani said, it was the issue of corruption that mattered. "Both parties offered freebies, but largescale corruption and nepotism overrode freebies," said Gnani.
The perceived goodwill created through DMK's sops and welfare measures would not be enough to sway Tamil Nadu's voters. With Jayalalitha willing to chart a similar course, the only distinguishing factors remained the taint of corruption and the prospect of change.
Perhaps a promise delivered creates goodwill, but not as much as the promise of more. DMK promised a free mixer or grinder for each household in Tamil Nadu in its 2011 manifesto.Jayalalithaa went a step ahead and offered both a mixer and a grinder, plus a fan, plus four grams of gold as marriage assistance for poor women and laptops for students.
The message was obvious: freebies were not the DMK's monopoly nor could they be allowed to come in the way of rising voter expectations for a cleaner government. In the end, political commentator Gnani said, it was the issue of corruption that mattered. "Both parties offered freebies, but largescale corruption and nepotism overrode freebies," said Gnani.
The perceived goodwill created through DMK's sops and welfare measures would not be enough to sway Tamil Nadu's voters. With Jayalalitha willing to chart a similar course, the only distinguishing factors remained the taint of corruption and the prospect of change.
(source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com)
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