The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) on March 18 announced it would join the BJP-led NDA and fight the coming Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu. Sources in the PMK said the decision was taken at a meeting chaired by party founder S. Ramadoss and president Anbumani Ramadoss, though a majority of party office-bearers and cadres reportedly preferred an alliance with the AIADMK.
Dr. Anbumani is expected to share the stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a public meeting in Salem on March 19.
Over the past fortnight, the PMK was involved in laborious and extended seat-sharing talks with both the AIADMK and the BJP. Even on Sunday, PMK sources had indicated at an alliance with the AIADMK after PMK Salem West MLA, R. Arul, visited AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami at his residence in Chennai.
PMK general secretary Vadivel Ravanan, who confirmed the alliance on Monday, said, “We held the executive council meeting and meeting with the district secretaries and presidents. It has been decided that the PMK will form an alliance with the BJP in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections. We expect PMK president Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Salem,” he said, adding, “The decision to ally had been taken by Dr. Ayya [Ramadoss].”
Mr. Ravanan said the party believed the alliance with the BJP would be beneficial to it and would secure the future of the party. “
Open discussion
A senior leader, who had attended the meeting at Dr. Ramadoss’ residence in Thailapuram, told The Hindu there was an open discussion about the positives and the negatives of the alliance.
“However, since we had resolved in the general body meeting that the final decision will be left to Doctor Ayya, it has been decided that the PMK will face the elections with the BJP,” he said, adding he, along with others, had also spoken in favour of the alliance with the AIADMK.
Another PMK office-bearer from Salem said the turn of events came as a last-minute surprise.
“Till yesterday night, we all thought that we are forming an alliance with the AIADMK. This was unexpected,” he said.
He further added that there were serious doubts over whether they could mobilise the PMK’s vote bank in this alliance.
“Mobilising the party’s voters would have been seamless if we had gone with the AIADMK. There is camaraderie on the ground. We all reiterated our opinion that we should form an alliance with the AIADMK. But Dr. Ramadoss and Dr. Anbumani said the party will ally with the BJP,” he said, pointing to a significant difference of opinion between the district leaders and the party leadership.
One of the PMK’s senior leaders further stated that the PMK’s decision to align with the BJP could be risky. “Now, I will not be surprised if our voters choose to vote for the AIADMK, the party that can rival the DMK, in a bid to defeat the DMK. This is the fear. We will not be in a position to win any seat,” he felt.
