Spotlight zooms in on DMK riches

Madurai: The verbal barrage aimed at the rising star of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) by an ally of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha at this critical juncture in the campaign could change the course of this election, analysts said yesterday.

At a public meeting in Karaikudi, deep in the Tamil heartland, the "Puraitcha Puiyal?" the revolutionary hurricane Vaiko swept in at the head of a noisy cavalcade.

His opening salvo against Dayanidhi Maran accusing the central Communications Minister of arm-twisting industrialist Ratan Tata over a Direct to Home television deal not only rids the campaign of its 'yawn'? factor, it brings the focus right back on the DMK's Achilles heel, the sudden acquisition of wealth by members of DMK leader Karunanidhi's immediate family.

Lacking bite

The buzz of 2004 when his popularity ratings as Jayalalitha's jailed victim soared, has all but gone. The Vaiko campaign, thus far, has clearly lacked bite. But his attack on Maran, a key minister of the Congress led United Progressive Alliance government last Wednesday, breathed new life into a desultory campaign.

It also raises important questions. Vaiko who has been playing hard to get, drives off into the gloom as the late night meeting ends.

His aides say the once highly accessible politician will not answer any questions. "It's all there in his speech."

But his speech leaves a number of questions unanswered. Primarily, about how he has access to a private letter of complaint that industrialist Ratan Tata has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about the Communications minister's arm-twisting.

How did Vaiko get his hands on the document to quote as freely as he did that night?

Or more pertinently, who from the prime minister's office sent the letter to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha, for it to be reprinted in her Anna DMK party newspapers Dinantanti and Daily Thandi the next day?

"She obviously maintains very close contacts with a Malayali speaking coterie in the PMO, which has given her the letter," an insider said. "Now, if the Congress party is allied with the DMK, not the ADMK, what purpose does this serve? Who is the real ally?"

Dismissed

Vaiko's running battle with DMK leader Muthuvel Karunanidhi and his late brother-in-law Murasoli Maran, father of Dayanidhi, has led to him parting ways with the parent party twice now, once in 1995-96, and again in 2006.

Dismissed as being no more than Jayalalitha's pet poodle, hired to attack the DMK, his credibility has been severely damaged.

His anger, people said is the result of being kept out of the DMK's charmed circle where the entry, power and pelf was limited to family members only.

In fact he was shut out of the Maran's Sun television network completely, and his outbursts against Karunanidhi were also blacked out, adding to his pent up fury.

But with his open attack on Maran, Vaiko could tilt the balance. He has support from Cho Ramaswamy, editor of the Chennai based Tughlaq who says "Maran must answer the charges."

Analyst Sam Rajappa believes it will damage the DMK juggernaut, that until the Maran episode could have swept towards an exceptional victory.

Maran, who has denied the allegations, describing them as baseless must contend with charges that the family's acquisitions have grown substantially.

Says Rajappa "While Stalin's murky side is a factor, so is the Marans? growing media empire."

It's a conflict of interests that the DMK might find as difficult to explain as Vaiko must, his own political somersault.

Vaiko's link with Tamil Tigers

Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader Vaiko Gopalaswamy's known links with the Sri Lankan separatist Tamil Tigers is once again in the spotlight as the southern state goes on high alert after the escalation of fighting in north and eastern Sri Lanka.

Vaiko was jailed by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha for his pro-Liberation Tigers for Tamil Eelam sympathies. Jayalalitha is implacably hostile to the Tigers who have sworn to eliminate her. Yet, Vaiko is now the Anna DMK's most fervent ally.

Well informed sources have told Gulf News that Vaiko has been given permission by the LTTE to get close to Jayalalitha, after he decided to break with the DMK, incidentally, already sympathetic to the Tiger cause.

"He waited for two whole weeks before getting the green signal from Killinnochi, the Tiger government in exile," said a high level source. "He told the Tigers that the DMK was already in the bag, now they needed to get the AIADMK on their side. Jayalalitha should be careful before grasping Vaiko to her side. India, which has not directly intervened in the Sri Lankan crisis for fear of upsetting an ally like the DMK should be alert to the danger posed by such a man."