A general election was forced when the BJP-led coalition government collapsed in April after Tamil Nadu’s AIADMK party withdrew its support in Parliament. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee refused to accede to AIADMK chief J Jayalalitha’s demand to dissolve the DMK government in Tamil Nadu. Ms Jayalalitha faces over 45 corruption charges initiated by the DMK.
In Tamil Nadu, the DMK-BJP coalition secured 26 of the 39 Lok Sabha seats while the AIADMK-Congress won 14 seats. The three Cabinet members from Tamil Nadu includes, senior DMK politician Murasoli Maran who becomes Trade and Industries minister. There will also be eight deputy ministers from Tamil Nadu.
The Sri Lankan government demanded clarification from India, following DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi’s mid-October statement that he would be glad if Tamil Eelam emerged. The LTTE is fighting to establish Tamil Eelam or separate Tamil state in north-east Sri Lanka. The Indian government says that it supports the unity and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka. Many in Sri Lanka are unconvinced by this statement. Colombo newspaper The Island says ‘it is time now that Mr Vajpayee be called upon to spell out his party’s Sri Lanka policy’.
Some observers believe that the strong Tamil Nadu presence in the new Indian government, particularly the involvement of the DMK and the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) would bring, over a period of time, pressure on New Delhi for some kind of intervention in the Sri Lankan conflict. The Tamil political parties in Sri Lanka said in October that Indian involvement is essential.
Meanwhile in early October, the two Sri Lankans and two Indians, sentenced to death in the Rajiv Gandhi murder case lost their final appeal to the Supreme Court. Many organisations have appealed for clemency, pleading with Indian President KR Narayanan to commute the death sentence to life imprisonment.