Congress to support Kanimozhi in Rajya Sabha polls

Chennai, June 25 (IANS) Ending the suspense over its stand, the Congress Tuesday announced its support for the DMK's Kanimozhi in the June 27 Rajya Sabha elections.

The support of the Congress' five legislators was being sought by both the DMK and the DMDK.

According to statement issued by the Congress' Tamil Nadu unit, the party has decided to support the DMK, its erstwhile ally in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

After the Congress' backing, the number of legislators in support of Kanimozhi now stands now at 32 (DMK 23, Congress 5, PT 2 and MMK 2). A candidate needs 34 votes to get elected.

While the AIADMK has a strength of 151 (including the speaker) in the 235-member house, the DMDK has 29 legislators. Six Rajya Sabha members from Tamil Nadu would retire next month. As per the current position in the assembly, all four candidates of the ruling AIADMK and the sole Communist Party of India candidate are expected to romp home safely. The contest will be for the sixth seat between Kanimozhi and DMDK's Elangovan.

See the irony of our democracy.

As per the chargesheet filed by CBI, Kanimozhi has 20% stake in her family-owned Kalaignar TV; her step-mother Dayalu Ammal owns 60% stake in the same channel. CBI alleges that Kanimozhi was an "active brain" behind the channel's operations and she worked with former telecom minister A. Raja to get DB realty promoter Shahid Balwa to circuitously route 200 crore (US$36.2 million) to Kalaignar TV. According to CBI, Kanimozhi was in regular touch with A Raja regarding launching of Kalaignar TV channel and its other pending works. CBI alleges that A Raja was further pursuing the cause of Kalaignar TV to get registration of the company from Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and for getting it in the DTH operator TATA Sky's bouquet. She was also summoned by the Income Tax Department, Chennai for alleged tax evasion charges.

Kanimozhi has defended herself by arguing that she is only a 20% shareholder in the company, who has no involvement in the financial aspects or the liability of a director.

Kanimozhi's assets have increased three-fold over the last six years from nine crores to nearly 27 crores.

Here is a woman who has been in jail for 193 days on corruption charges and is yet to be cleared of the charges and she is aspiring to be a Rajya Sabha MP.

And the Congress party is support her.

Thereby hangs a tale.