Click to play videoChennai: The electioneering for the May 8 assembly polls has undergone a sudden sea change with the campaign revolving round the politics of rice.
With electioneering gaining momentum, all other issues have been put on the backburner and the politics of rice has come to occupy centre stage.
It all started with the state opposition Dravida Munhetra Kazgham (DMK) promise to supply rice at Rs 2 per kilo, which was described as 'impractical' by the Chief Minister and the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munhetra Kazgham (AIADMK) supremo Jayalalithaa.
"The DMK is promising the moon. It cannot expect to implement such promises practically," Jayalalithaa said.
But about ten days after she said this, Jayalalithaa, sensing people's response to the promise, suddenly found that rice politics was actually viable.
On her campaign trail in the Andipatti district, Jayalalithaa offered 10 kilos of rice free with every 10 kilos supplied at Rs 3.50 per kg at ration shops.
"If we come to power, I promise you 10 kg free every month, at Rs. 3.50 per kg,” Jayalalithaa said.
The move is being seen as a desperate attempt to counter DMK's promise of supplying ration rice. However, rice politics is nothing new to the state. DMK founder CN Annadurai, during the 1967 assembly polls, assured three measures of rice (approximately 4 kg) at Rs one per kg.
AIADMK founder late MG Ramachandran saw to it that the price of rice supplied through the Public Distribution system was not raised during his tenure as chief minister.
He even went on a fast, demanding more allocation of rice to the state from the central pool.
Justifying the rice politics has been the foundation of the DMK's campaign. So much so, that it got the Finance Minister P Chidambaram to sing its political song.
"The question is, whether the move is feasible or not? It is possible to implement it on the ground," Chidambaram said.
The poor Tamil Nadu voter is now swamped with attention from all sides. He can choose between rice at Rs 2 or even less.
But is the electorate satisfied? It doesn’t seem like it. "They'll give rice, and then ignore education, development, housing," David, a resident of Andipatti said.
It's clear that political parties will go to any extent to woo the voters in this desperately close election, but whether or not they will hit the jackpot is for time to tell.
(With Veeraraghav)
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