With Assembly elections just seven months away, political parties in Tamil Nadu are gearing up to form the best alliances and taking their positions for the electoral race.
In 2016, the state is likely to see several political alliances come together, but the two big alliances will be lead by the DMK and AIADMK. Here is a round-up of how the situation looks at the moment.
AIADMK-led alliance
With Jayalithaa’s case progressing slowly in the Supreme Court and the party riding on welfare schemes in the state, AIADMK is gearing up for the Assembly elections with confidence.
Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK), a Muslim outfit has shown an inclination towards forming an alliance with the AIADMK party, but a faction lead by Thamim Ansari, MMK’s General Secretary is against the alliance.
MMK Leader M K Jawahirullah, at a general council meeting held on Tuesday, kicked Ansari out of the party for opposing the proposed move.
The MMK was a part of the People’s Welfare Front (PWF), but Jawahirullah decided that he would break away. “We joined the front only to fight against anti-people issues. We are not interested in converting the front into a political alliance as we want to join an alliance led either by the AIADMK or the DMK,” he told The Hindu.
There is a split in the MMK after the party expelled its general secretary Thameemun Ansari and Haroon from the party.
Though MMK has expressed its willingness to join the AIADMK, there have been no signs from Amma. The AIADMK is most likely to go with a cluster of smaller parties, especially caste-oriented parties.
DMK-led alliance
Through the Nammaku Nammey campaign, the first phase of which ended on Saturday, Stalin is making an effort to reach out to the masses and cover 234 constituencies ahead of the Assembly elections. Even though the DMK has showed interest in an alliance with Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) earlier this year, DMDK leader Vijayakanth has denied the possibility of an alliance. The DMK too is trying to stitch up an alliance with parties like the Congress and several smaller parties to create a consolidated opposition for AIADMK. But with harsh statements coming from its senior leaders against possible alliances, the party leadership seems to be waiting for a few more months to go by before finally getting to the drawing table.
People’s Welfare Front (PWF)
Recently, Vaiko’s Marumalarchi Dravida Kazhagam (MDMK) decided to stay in the PWF which includes Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK). But this too led to a mini-exodus from the party.
One of the party members who quit the MDMK party told TOI said that it was a “suicidal attempt” for Vaiko to stay in the People's Welfare Front. “Many within MDMK consider the front nothing more than a pressure group.”
According to a TOI report, a DMK leader said, "Vaiko's primary objective is to stop Stalin from becoming CM. He is not bothered about what happens to his party.”
Meanwhile, the VCK and the Left parties have continued to announced their willingness to remain in a front devoid of the two bigger Dravidian parties.’ The VCK has said that it is committed to MDMK and the Left parties and it will remain allied to the PWF to fight the 2016 Assembly elections.
In his interview, CPI Tamil Nadu Secretary D Pandian has also confirmed that they will stay with PWF in the 2016 elections.
BJP’s strategy
Bharatiya Janata Party state leaders have confirmed that they are still in an alliance with Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK). But the party is indecisive on supporting Anbumani Ramadoss as their CM nominee because their other ally Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam’s Vijayakanth, too wants to be the Chief Minister nominee, according to The New Indian Express. The BJP is however likely to stay with the PMK and is working out a strategy to increase its vote share in the state. But with PMK founder Ramdoss recently making an open statement that they will only go with parties which accept Anbumani as the CM candidate, it remains to be seen if BJP will yield to the pressure.