As parleys between the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Congress drag on over the issue of power sharing now, not many may remember that the two parties had not just agreed on sharing power during the 1980 Assembly elections, but had also come out with a common minimum programme.
More than anything else, it was the issue of Chief Ministership that had once virtually taken the alliance to the point of collapse then.
As the two parties had agreed to contest 110 seats each, the controversy erupted as to whether the office of Chief Minister should go to the DMK or the Congress, in the event of the alliance getting a majority in the polls.
A number of smaller parties, which formed part of the alliance, contested the remaining seats. When the negotiations began in March 1980 within days of the dismissal of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) regime, the two parties had little difficulty in extending their tie-up that was forged for the Lok Sabha elections. It was only in the third week of April that Prime Minister and Congress president Indira Gandhi made it clear that the Chief Ministership would go to the DMK, which meant M. Karunanidhi.
In fact, then, Mr. Karunanidhi had to experience dissatisfaction and indignation from the second line leaders and district functionaries of the party, who had felt that the electoral pact was heavily loaded in favour of the national party. He was looking for the political resurrection of his party, as the DMK Ministry had been dismissed in January 1976.
Despite the controversy over the issue of Chief Ministership, the two parties had prepared a common minimum programme (CMP) and the document was released even before the elections. It was released at function on May 17, 1980, in which Mr. Karunanidhi, the then president of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee M.P. Subramanian and president of the State unit of the Muslim League A.K.A. Abdus Samad participated.
The CMP, which was the term used even then, had promised free education up to the degree level for all students, irrespective of their income group, immediate steps to reduce the indebtedness of agriculturists including waiver of loans and making tillers owners of farm lands. It also envisaged adoption of some bright students belonging to backward classes in each district and taluk to help them pursue higher studies.
The CMP was prepared even though the DMK and the Congress had come out with separate election manifestoes.
The DMK had released its manifesto on May 8, 1980 and the Congress a week later. Eventually, the DMK-Congress alliance did not capture power and the AIADMK came back. The DMK won 37 seats with 22.1 per cent of votes polled and the Congress got 31 seats with 20.9 per cent.
