The Hindu : DMK, AIADMK waiting for PMK decision

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 12, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

DMK, AIADMK waiting for PMK decision

By Our Tamil Nadu Bureau

CHENNAI, JAN. 11. All eyes are on the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), which should decide on Monday whether it should continue in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), or follow its ally, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), in joining the newly-formed "progressive front" in Tamil Nadu.

The PMK's political affairs committee meets here tomorrow to review its options and choose between the two arch rivals in the State, ruling AIADMK and the DMK. The latter has already expressed the hope that the PMK will opt for the "secular platform" and join the new front to take on not only the AIADMK, but also the "communal forces."

According to sources in both the AIADMK and the PMK, "contact has been established" between the two parties to find out if an alliance or a seat-sharing arrangement can be worked out. The BJP too is trying to retain at least this one ally in the NDA. But the PMK leadership is expected to take a "cool-headed decision" after weighing the options and examining the seats on offer in the two fronts. Party sources say that the PMK has no problem with the BJP and the two leaders have a "very good equation." It does not share the problems of the DMK. Though the PMK did offer to sort them out, the DMK had walked too far out of the alliance to be able to retrace its steps. "The question now is whether we should come out of the NDA and whether we will be comfortable with the AIADMK," explains a senior party functionary.

It appears that the DMK-led front has almost completed the exercise of putting together a formidable alliance. Very soon, the seat-sharing exercise is also expected to wrapped up, which means that a basic formula is already on the table. The PMK does not have a problem with any of the partners in the "progressive front," even if may have some differences with State Congress leaders. It has worked before with the AIADMK, which made a generous offer both in Tamil Nadu and in Pondicherry.

Though the 2006 Assembly elections are considered to be a "watershed" for the PMK, it does not want to give up its foothold in the Lok Sabha, especially after being in the Union Cabinet. The PMK is also conscious of the "attempts to split our legislature group" and the denial of a Rajya Sabha seat to R. Anbumani, son of its founder-leader, Dr. S. Ramadoss, say the party sources.

`Doors open to like-minded parties'

An AIADMK Member of Parliament says, "Our leader has weighed the options carefully. We are not after any particular alliance or party.Our doors are open to like-minded parties. Our goals and objectives are clear. We have no stakes in the parliament election and have a full two-and-a-half years more to go for the next Assembly election. Any course correction is still possible and we will stick to our agenda. It is the BJP which has talked of an alliance and our leader will wait for their move. The BJP has established contact and we will hear from them this week."

Once the PMK takes a decision on its strategy, the DMK and the AIADMK will be able to make their next move and firm up their plans. For the DMK, it is only a question of seats now — with or without the PMK.

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