In what is being seen as the ruling AINRC’s open-ended approach to electoral alliances for the assembly elections next year, Chief Minister N. Rangasamy on Saturday expressed happiness over AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa being sworn in as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for the fifth time.
“I am really happy and I convey my best wishes to her,” Mr. Rangasamy told reporters in his chamber in the Legislative Assembly.
The usually reticent Chief Minister had earlier expressed happiness on Jayalalithaa being acquitted in the disproportionate assets case.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Chief Minister’s felicitation of his Tamil Nadu counterpart has set off speculation in political circles over whether the ruling AINRC, which is in alliance with the BJP, would consider resuscitating a pact with the AIADMK that has gone horribly sour, for the forthcoming Assembly polls in 2016.
However, even if Mr. Rangasamy’s remarks are indeed a sign of a wish to thaw the frosty ties with the AIADMK, it remains to be seen if the AIADMK, now resurgent with the return of its supremo would be ready to reciprocate in any manner.
For the AIADMK, Mr. Rangasamy is a man who reneged on his power-sharing commitments in the 2011 elections. The ruling AINRC, a splinter group of the Congress had contested the elections for the first time in 2011 in alliance with the AIADMK.
ADVERTISEMENT
The alliance annexed 20 seats (AINRC-15 and AIADMK-5) in the 30-member Puducherry Assembly. But during the formation of the Ministry Mr. Rangasamy sidelined the AIADMK and formed the Government.
The AIADMK camp here refused to see a political overture in Mr. Rangasamy’s statements and dismissed any prospect of a patch-up.
“If at all, Amma (Jayalalithaa) had forgiven Rangasamy, he would have been an invitee to the swearing-in ceremony,” a prominent AIADMK leader said.