While the country is set to face the Lok Sabha polls in April or so, in Tamil Nadu the alliance formations and seat-sharing talks are still a work in progress. Six months ago the NDA and the INDIA alliance took shape at the national level. Much water has flown in Tamil Nadu since then. There has been some realignment on the ground since then.
The AIADMK snapped ties with the BJP and pulled out of the NDA. While the INDIA bloc has suffered some setbacks nationally, in Tamil Nadu the alliance led by the DMK seems intact. The Congress and DMK have had a round of seat-sharing talks and the national party had described the talks as positive and pleasant.
Technically speaking, there is hardly any NDA in Tamil Nadu. The BJP is looking to head an alliance and it is more or less assured of getting the support of TTV Dinakaran’s AMMK, and expelled AIADMK leader O. Panneerselvam.
The AIADMK has not been able to find any significant allies after exiting the NDA. At the same time, there is a small section in the BJP that hopes to reunite with the AIADMK in the hope that it would yield better prospects in the Lok Sabha polls. However, supporters of the BJP State President K. Annamalai are opposed to any reconciliation. They feel the party has grown in Tamil Nadu and must prepare for the long term.
Seeman’s Naam Tamilar Katchi is also expected to be in the fray in all 39 Lok Sabha seats, making it a four-cornered contest.
Will there by any political realignment? Where will the smaller parties head? Will the BJP be able to improve its vote share and would the AIADMK retain its vote share?
Presentation: D. Suresh Kumar
Videography: Thamodharan B.
Production: Shibu Narayan
