AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

NT Bureau
Chennai, Feb 4:

        With just a day to go by for filing nominations to the Chennai Corporation bypolls, political parties across the spectrum have atlast finalised their strategy for the elections.

        The main opposition AIADMK which is convening its general council meeting tomorrow for the first time after the last year's Assembly poll debacle, is likely to ratify the stand of boycotting bypolls to100 wards.

        The party would instead focus on fighting the civic poll violence case in the court and would try to 'reveal the hand of the ruling party' in the last year's civic poll violence, it is learnt.

        The BJP is fielding candidates in 45 wards. The DMK, Congress and others in the DPA have released their list of candidates for the bypolls.

        A key ally of the DMK, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has decided to go it alone again. It has decided to contest just eight wards considering the ground situation.

        The third force in the State, Vijayakanth led DMDK has made it clear that it would be taking an aggressive stand and try to 'emerge victorious in as many seats as possible.' The party is said to be working up an aggressive campaign plan for the polls.

        One significant aspect in the seat sharing in the DPA was that while the DMK was able to convince others over the numbers, it was not able to rein in the CPI (M) which has decided to go it alone.

        It was learnt that the DMK had offered four seats, but the CPI-(M) had said it would not accept 'anything lesser than eight wards.'

        The Left party had insisted that the DMK should consider the cadre strength while allocating seats. However the DMK remained firm in its stand.

        Interestingly, the CPI (M), which contested the last election in the same wards, also moved the High Court seeking repoll in the violence- marred wards of the Corporation.

        After talks with allies were over, DMK released a list yesterday renominating all the 58 Councillors including Subash Chandra Bose who joined DMK from arch rival AIADMK after the election.

        Now it's getting clear that the polls would be a straight fight between the Vijayakanth led DMDK and the DMK headed Democratic Progressive Alliance. The city goes to polls on 18 February.