TN: All-women rally to pool support for Ms Patil

Chennai, Jun 16: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President M Karunanidhi today announced that the party would organise an all- women rally here on July one to appeal to the leaders of all political parties to elect UPA-Left Presidential nominee Ms Pratibha Patil unopposed.

Talking to newspersons at Anna Arivalayam on his return from New Delhi, he said the rally was also to highlight the historic decision to field a woman candidate for the Presidential election and to celebrate Ms Patil's nomination for the highest post.

Answering to a question Mr Karunanidhi, who played a crucial role in evolving a concensus between the Congress and the Left parties, said he would try to bring Ms Patil to take part in the rally.

He said after deciding the Presidential nominee in Delhi last evening, he had mooted a suggestion to celebrate the decision by organising all-women rallies in all state capitals.

Welcoming the suggetion UPA chairperson and Congress President Sonia Gandhi suggested that ''let Tamil Nadu take the lead first.'' Replying to another question Mr Karunanidhi said Presidential nominee Ms Patil would visit the state for campaigning.

Mr Karunanidhi said the July one ''all-women rally'' was not to press for the unanimous election of Ms Patil, but to make an appeal to all the political parties in the country to make the election uncontested. Taking pride that the UPA and the Left parties have proposed a woman nominee for the Presidenship, he said this was a promising beginning to usher in 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state legislatures.

''When I said let us make a beginning for 33 per cent reservation for women after finalising Ms Patil's candidature, Ms Gandhi accepted my suggestion and said ''Vetri Namathe'' (victory is ours) in Tamil,'' he said.

He strongly believed that the election of Ms Patil as President of the country would make a good beginning for the 33 per cent reservation for women.

Asked whether he would appeal to other political parties, including the BJP-led NDA to support Ms Patil and ensure that she is elected unopposed, Mr Karunanidhi said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Ms Gandhi had appealed to them by talking to them over telephone and through the resolution.

The DMK leader declined to comment on BJP leader and former Prime Minister A B Vajpayee saying ''it was too late'', in response to the appeal made by Dr Singh and Ms Gandhi. ''They have expressed their stand,'' he added.

Mr Karunanidhi replied in the negative when asked whether the DMK had sought one more cabinet berth for the party. On Vice-Presidentship he said, ''All of us have agreed to meet again in August and discuss the nominee for the Vice-President post.'' Asked about some regional parties, including the Samajwadi Party, Telugu Desam Party and AIADMK trying to form a Third Front and whether it was possible he said, ''if it is possible for them to form a third front, how could we oppose it.'' Mr Karunanidhi declined to be drawn into the details as how the names of the other nominees were eliminated, while selecting Ms Patil for the Presidentship. ''Ms Patil's choice was unanimous and it is not fair to go into the details now,'' he added.

Answering a question, he said he expected the Election Commission to initiate action against AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa following Madras High Court order, directing the Election Commission, Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer and two returning officers to initiate action against her for filing false declaration while filing nominations to contest in the 2001 assembly elections.

''At least now, when it is exposed that Ms Jayalalithaa had filed nominations in four constituencies, in violation of rules, I hope that the Election Commission will take action, without any further hesitation,'' he said.

UNI