PT seeks PM's intervention to rectfy 'lacunae' in delimitation

Madurai, May 3 (UNI) Seeking Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's intervention to rectify the ''lacunae'' in the draft proposals of the delimitation of Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies for Tamil Nadu, the Puthiya Thamizhagam (PT) today reiterated that the entire process required a thorough review.

Addressing newspersons here, party president and Dalit leader K Krishnasamy said a memorandum had been sent to Dr Singh detailing the various 'shortcomings and problems' in the draft proposals.

The process, being carried out 'in violation of the guidelines and methodology,' had opened up a pandora's box, instead of rectifying the existing inconsistencies, he alleged.

While the LS constituencies reserved for Dalits have been concentrated in the northern districts, the assembly seats-- general as well as reserved-- have been redrawn without any rational basis, he said.

Both the ruling DMK and the opposition AIADMK had not reacted to the development, which would deny the political space to the parties espousing the cause of the Dalits and subaltern groups, he charged.

However, the Dalit leader said efforts would be made to secure the support of the CPI(M), CPI and Congress which have expressed their reservations about the draft proposals.

Charging former Tamil Nadu State Election Commissioner Mr Palanivelu with the 'fiasco', he alleged that this had been done with a casteist motive.

Andipatti was cited as an example for carving out a constituency to consolidate OBCs while Theni, the district headquarters had been deprived of an already existing constituency, he charged. Similarly, administrative units like Panchayat Unions were divided and this was bound to create inconvenience to the people.

Another problem, the party had raised was that of splitting the Dalit votes concentrated in a reserved constituency, thereby leaving Dalits, contesting from them, at the mercy of the caste Hindus.

The party was planning to organise a bandh in the southern districts to register its protest prior to the 'Public Hearing' of the Delimitation Commission slated for May 19 here.

As announced earlier, the party would hold protest fasts at the block level from today up to May 12, as part of the first phase of the agitation, in Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Virudhunagar, Ramanathapuram and Madurai districts.

In the second phase, similar agitations would be held in the western and central region of the state, he added.

UNI