DMK mulls over new front ahead of LS polls

Eyes DMDK and Left apart from small outfits

The DMK seems to be considering the possibility of forming a “new front” in Tamil Nadu in the run-up to Parliament elections following its split from the Congress-led UPA.

Party chief M Karunanidhi is clear that there is no question of reconsidering the decision of parting company with the Congress in a clean break over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue.

He has also virtually ruled out any electoral alliance for the next Lok Sabha poll.
Though the alliance formation issue is still premature, sources in the DMK indicated that Karunanidhi was mulling over the possibility of a “new front” of parties in Tamil Nadu.

The Dravidian party is eyeing actor-politician Vijayakant-led DMDK, which has fallen out of AIADMK, and the Left parties, the CPM at least, if not the CPI, sources indicated to Deccan Herald. It is also likely that a few other smaller parties like the Dalit outfit, VCK led by Thol Thirumavalavan and the two factions of IUML would sail along with the DMK in the event of such a possibility concretising, they said.

Karunanidhi is not very sure of CPI’s position as the latter has been a staunch supporter of the AIADMK led by Jayalalitha since the run-up to the 2011 Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu.

The MDMK headed by Vaiko, is also likely to gravitate towards the AIADMK as they are all on the same wavelength in the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, particularly after the latest UNHRC-related developments.  

The DMK and Congress snapping ties in the context of poll arithmetic, “will be a setback for both,” said Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president B S Gnanadesikan. For in a Lok Sabha election, aligning with a national party will be crucial factor, he contended.

But at least for now the DMK is neither looking to the Congress nor the BJP-led NDA in that context.

Rather, sources in the DMK said, Karunanidhi’s revival of the Tamil Eelam Supporters Organisation (TESO) last year, was ultimately aimed at “rebuilding the DMK’s morale on an “authentic Tamil plank”, which would also give him an exit route from the Congress as the latter’s soft position on Sri Lanka was well known. So, for now, it is a wait-and-watch game for the DMK, sources added.