Venkaiah takes dig at poll promises

Coimbatore, May 3 (UNI) Taking a dig at the 'impossible' election promises made by the Dravidian parties, BJP Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu today said the voters must be given the right to prosecute the parties if they did not fulfil the promises and recall the elected representatives.

Addressing the press here, Mr Naidu said never in his 30-year political career he encountered such 'cheap gimmicks.' While DMK Chief M Karunanidhi was offering free colour televisions, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's promises stemmed more from political compulsions than the state's economic condition can allow.

He claimed the DMK was promising cheaper kerosene to consumers at a time when the Union Government, of which it was a part, had decided to substantially increase the prices of petrol, diesel, kerosene and LPG on May ten, after the elections to the Tamil Nadu Assembly were over.

alleging the Union Government had already decided to increase the prices of wheat and rice supplied through PDS along with reducing allotment of rice to 20 kg per family from the current 35 kg, the BJP leader said this only showed Mr Karunanidhi and Ms Jayalalithaa were making tall promises only to come to power at any cost.

Rufuting allegation of a secret pact his party had with AIADMK Mr Naidu said there was no such necessity to keep any such agreement confidential.

''Only the MDMK has secret alliance with the DMK as is seen from its support to the UPA Government at the Centre and fight with it in the Tamil Nadu,'' he said, Mr Naidu said the election outcome will have an impact on the Union Government which is ''facing so many pulls and pressures from many quarters.'' On the Tata DTH issue, Mr Naidu said BJP Leader L K Advani had already written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh an inquiry into it.

Regarding the situation in Gujarat, he said it was under control.

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