Tamil Nadu: The swing state

What move will Amma make this weekend? If election surveys are to be believed, the AIADMK chief could win a sizeable chunk of the 40 seats in Tamil Nadu to be King Maker.

Now with the Third Front, Jayalalithaa isn`t ruling out a post poll pact with the UPA or the NDA just yet. Although she`s ideologically closer to the BJP, a tie up with the Congress will mean the fall of the DMK government in Tamil Nadu.

"There have been feelers from many places. I`m not responding to any overtures now. I will wait till the 16th for the results," she says.

The DMK says its ties with the Congress cannot be broken.

Kanimozhi Karunanidhi says: "Both the DMK and Congress will do very well. We are not worried about it (Congress's overtures to the AIADMK).

The party also challenges poll predictions.

"We have done our own scientific survey and that says we will win 35 seats," says Dayanidhi Maran.

For the DMK, 2009 is not quite 2004 where it had a formidable alliance and swept all 40 seats in Tamil Nadu. With most colours of its erstwhile rainbow coalition having run to the Jayalalithaa camp, it hopes "its rising" sun isn`t eclipsed by the "two leaves".