The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Vasan gets a clear message from high command

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 27, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Vasan gets a clear message from high command

By V. Jayanth

CHENNAI, SEPT. 26. The determination with which the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president, G.K. Vasan, has initiated action against ``indiscipline'' in the party has a clear message from the leadership in New Delhi.

Soon after a Delhi visit and an audience with the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, Mr. Vasan has returned with an unambiguous message — set the house in order. Disciplinary action against a host of district functionaries, notably supporters of the Union Minister of State, E.V.K.S. Elangovan, has also come in the wake of a statement from Mr. Elangovan that the Union Ministers from Tamil Nadu were ready to meet the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, and discuss pending projects in the State, if she was prepared to cooperate.

According to Congress functionaries here, Ms. Gandhi appears to be in no mood to patch up with the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader, Ms. Jayalalithaa, who recently called on the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh. Ms. Jayalalithaa's Delhi visit and her conciliatory messages to the Congress sparked not only rumours but also led to wholesale offensive by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its leadership against ``those who are trying to drive a wedge'' between the DMK and the Congress.

Whatever the discontent in the TNCC against the DMK, the Congress leadership, particularly Ms. Gandhi, is reported to be determined to continue the alliance with the DMK into the next Assembly election, due in 2006. While the Congress is facing problems with some of its other allies, the party is stated to be ``very happy'' with the relationship with the DMK, whose demands are essentially Tamil Nadu-centric. The Congress-led Government at the Centre has had no problems in conceding these demands, especially if it did not involve any financial commitment, such as declaring Tamil a classical language - which was anyway under consideration and long over due.

No sooner did the DMK leadership lash out at the media for ``attempting to bring the Congress and the AIADMK together,'' its allies joined in the chorus. The constituents of the Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) in the State appear to be more determined now to stick together and defeat the AIADMK in the Assembly polls. That is perhaps the main agenda for the alliance right now.

Coalition talk

But sources in the Congress and in a couple of other DPA partners are now talking in terms of a ``coalition'' in Tamil Nadu. The thinking seems to be that if the DMK can be part of a larger alliance at the Centre, there is nothing wrong in the same DPA forming a coalition in Tamil Nadu in the next Assembly election. A senior functionary of an alliance party reasons: ``If seat-sharing for the 234 seats in the State legislative poll can be worked out on the same formula as for the parliamentary election, there will have to be a coalition here. There is so much at stake in the next election and we are more interested in State politics than at the Centre.''

Aside from working together in the DPA on common issues, each of the constituents is trying to launch an action programme of its own to enthuse the cadres and prepare the grounds for the next election. The two Communist parties, who opted to keep out of government at the Centre, have their own plans, which have been set in motion.

The Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDM) leader, Vaiko, has just completed his `Renaissance march' and is finalising plans to launch a membership drive for his party. The Pattali Makkal Katchi is working on its own action plan. But all the leaders have utilised every possible occasion to reiterate their commitment to the DPA and opposition to the AIADMK.

It is now for the Congress to set its house in order and launch some programmes to unify the factions and rejuvenate its cadres.

The TNCC is perhaps waiting to invite Dr. Singh and Ms. Gandhi to Chennai to launch a political offensive - the State unit wants to congratulate the two leaders for the host of benefits conferred on Tamil Nadu in the first 100 days of the coalition regime.

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