The DMK-led Domcratic Progressive
Alliance’s sweeping victory in the Tamil Nadu State Assembly
elections, announced yesterday, over Chief Minister Ms
Jayalalitha Jayaram’s AIDMK was a terrific blow to the LTTE,
according to political analysts. The LTTE’s strongest ally in
Tamil Nadu, Y. Gopalaswamy, leader of the MDMK, vigorously
campaigned for Chief Minister Jayalalitha in the run-up to the
May 8 state elections.Yet another supporter of the LTTE in
Tamil Nadu, leader of the Viduthalai Chiruththaigal(meaning
cheetahs of freedom) Thirumavalavan was also an active campaign
leader for the defeated Chief Minister Jayalalitha
Gopalaswamy, popularly known as Vaiko in Tamil Nadu was
sometime ago jailed for one year by the Jayalalitha government,
under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) for praising the
LTTE at public meetings. Later he severed his party’s alliance
with Muththuvel Karunanidhi’s DMK and merged with Jayalalitha’s
AIMDK following a rift with Karunanidhi, since the latter began
to groom his son Stalin to be DMK’s future leader.
Muththuvel Karunanidhi, now set to become Tamil Nadu Chief
Minister, won 126 of the 169 seats announced at the time of
going to press. Tamil Nadu has a 234-member assembly.
The LTTE’s less known supporters in Tamil Nadu, Pattali
Makkal Katchi leader Dr S. Ramdoss, and Thamil Thesiya Iyakkam
leader Thirumavalavan stood with Karunanidhi.
