DMK upbeat about possible tie-up; other political parties cautious

While the DMK may be keen on an alliance with Vijayakant for the 2016 Assembly elections, the rest do not share the optimism

April 27, 2015 12:00 am | Updated 07:31 am IST

he DMK, which is looking for a solid alliance partner in Tamil Nadu, is obviously elated after DMDK leader Vijayakant called on their leader M. Karunanidhi, but the optimism is not shared by other political parties.

That Mr. Vijayakant is keen on joining hands with the DMK is explained by the fact that he brought with him a photograph, seeking the blessings of Dayalu Ammal, wife of Mr. Karunanidhi.

In the recent past, DMK treasurer M.K. Stalin has also been supportive of the DMDK MLAs in the Tamil Nadu Assembly coming to their defence more than once when the House decided to suspend them.

Mr. Stalin had also expressed solidarity with the suspended MLAs who were protesting outside the House.

In fact, a few MLAs had told Mr. Vijayakant to talk to Mr. Stalin and thank him for the support. For the DMK, the main rival to the AIADMK, and the DMDK, which is still a force to reckon with, an alliance could be crucial in the next Assembly elections.

But, the Congress is guarded. “Why should he meet us when he has also plans to meet TMC leader G.K. Vasan,” asked a senior Congress leader, reiterating that it would be impossible for the Congress to work with the TMC on the same platform.

The BJP, on the other hand, was taken by surprise by the development. A senior State leader said many of the parties whose doors Mr. Vijayakant knocked on Sunday were highly critical of the BJP. In fact, at no point could there be coordination with parties like the Congress, the MDMK and the Left.

“Whether he did it deliberately or otherwise, we think he is setting up a nice plank for these parties to bash the BJP. We are forced to cooperate with his move, as this is a sensitive State issue and they are meeting our Prime Minister. Otherwise, we do not see any logic in this plan,” the leader said.

Also, some in the BJP had raised doubts whether it would be a good idea for the party to facilitate the meeting with Mr. Modi. “People should not think we are moving towards the DMK by using the DMDK. That will completely derail all our efforts to provide an alternative,” the leader contended.

The CPI(M) was also not excited by Mr. Vijayakant’s move. The party’s State secretary, G. Ramakrishnan, had informed Mr. Vijayakant that he could not make any commitment on sending his party representatives as they were busy with the State committee meeting.

While the Congress is sending senior leader A. Gopanna to be part of the DMDK-led delegation, the TMC and the BJP will send S.R. Balasubramanian and Tamilisai Soundararajan respectively. Union Minister Pon. Radhakrishnan will also be part of the team.

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