Poll tie-ups: Allies keep leaders on toes
Chennai: All is not well in
DMK
and
AIADMK
fronts as allies of the two Dravidian majors flex their muscles for a larger share of the electoral and governance pie.
On the AIADMK side, discomfort has been brewing as state
BJP
leaders repeatedly echo Union home minister Amit Shah's assertion that an "NDA govt" will be formed in Tamil Nadu, even after EPS clarified that there would not be power sharing.
Former state president K Annamalai went a step further and said he would want it to be a 'BJP govt.' BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran, hand picked to bring better working relationship with AIADMK, has been cautious. All that he would say is that AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami would be heading the govt.
But AIADMK functionaries say the party is under constant pressure to clarify, at every press interaction, that power-sharing with BJP is off the table.
"As a result, there is uneasiness among the rank and file and the grassroot gelling of cadres of both parties is not happening," said a AIADMK leader from western TN. Though it has been more than two months since Amit Shah announced the resumption of ties with AIADMK, leaders of the two parties have not shared the dais so far.
The tension has also been worsened by events like the Lord Murugan conference in Madurai organized by right wing groups and backed by BJP.
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"Politicising religion like this is against our party's ethos. But we are unable to openly oppose it," said a senior AIADMK functionary.
Meanwhile, allies in the DMK camp are mounting pressure for greater space during elections as well as afterwards. In what is seen as a pressure tactic, VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan has openly stated that he has no issues with the AIADMK and that his opposition is limited to the BJP and PMK.
CPM too has said they would seek more seats. The party has also been critical of the DMK govt's functioning. MDMK which is upset that their founder Vaiko was not given another stint in Rajya Sabha is also eyeing for more seats. DMK leadership has started facing pressure from Congress quarters too as a Congress MLA said the party would seek not just more seats, but also a share in power.
Political observers say that the parties are using semantics to mount pressure on their major partners even though seat sharing is determined by past electoral performance and power sharing by future outcomes.
While AIADMK might have to do a tightrope walk to navigate the pressure from BJP, the DMK might not find it difficult to deal with the allies since the party might simply follow the 2021 seat sharing formula.
"Its quite natural for parties to aspire for more seats. A decision on the seats would be taken by our thalaivar (
M K Stalin
)," said DMK organising secretary R S Bharathi.
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