Chennai: Voters are perhaps the happiest and the most benefited lot in the state of Tamil Nadu. The claim sounds befitting for almost every house in the state now has a colour television, thanks to the DMK party that won elections in May this year.
Declaring color television a basic necessity, DMK had promised free television sets to the poor. The promise has been fruit bearing and the party swept to power in May.
Television, "nowadays, it is not just entertainment, it is more, it informs about health, politics and public awareness issues," says DMK's party secretary, TKS Elangovam.
So far, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party, or DMK, has handed out 60,000 sets and plans to give away 30,000 more in coming months.
"I will always vote for DMK,'' said 51-year-old Parimala, as she clicks channels on the remote. ''In January, they are giving us gas stoves,'' she adds with a grin.
Voters in Tamil Nadu lured by the promise of free rice and coloured television needed no more reason or logic to choose their vote.
"The kind of material benefits to the voters in Tamil Nadu are unprecedented,” says Kamal Mitra Chenoy, political analyst.
DMK’s free gift made it win above All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) in the May elections. Both parties push regional Tamil rights and champion the poor. And both are led by film industry celebrities—DMK has M Karunanidhi, a flamboyant former screenwriter while its rival has former Tamil star actress J Jayalalithaa.
DMK was voted out in 2001 but staged a comeback in last May's elections, and now voters like Parimala are eager for the goodies they were promised during the campaign.
Critics also note that relatives of Karunanidhi, the party leader, own the region's main cable company, Sumangali Cable Vision, and the free TVs have helped boost subscriptions.
Perhaps giving free cable connections in the next elections may give the party fresh a opportunity to firm up its foothold in Tamil Nadu.
With AP inputs
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