Thailapuram, Tamil Nadu, Mar 04: The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) today asked the Election Commission (EC) to take cognisance of the proposed nationwide 'Rath Yatra' of Deputy Prime Minister and senior BJP leader L K Advani ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. ''The BJP has said it will not rake up the Ayodhya issue. But now, during election time, it is using the same means adopted to highlight the issue for campaigning,'' PMK founder-leader s ramadoss told reporters here. Alleging that the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu was banking on money and muscle power to fight the general elections, he said the EC should keep vigil over such ''anti-democratic'' practices and stop it.


The election observers should travel the length and breadth of each constituency and report the violations to the EC to put an end to it, the PMK leader said.


Dr Ramadoss said the EC should keep watch over the daily election expenses of the state ministers and include their travel expenditure in the AIADMK's election expense account. Noting that the poll dates had been announced 75 days in advance this year as against the general practice of giving 45 days time, he said there was a possibility that the state ministers could use the time gap to violate the model code of conduct.


Claiming that the campaign had no impact on the people of Tamil Nadu, who were burdened by the ''anti-people'' policies of the AIADMK government, he exuded confidence that the DMK-led Democratic Progressive alliance would sweep the polls in the state and adjoining Pondicherry.
Bureau Report