JOIN USThe BJP’s pre-2014 Lok Sabha poll strategy with regional parties in Tamil Nadu seems to be in a quandary with party leader Subramanian Swamy seeking Vaiko-led Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (MDMK) expulsion from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for being anti-national.
In the five party alliance, the Paattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) has already announced that it will face the 2016 Assembly polls with new partners.
The BJP had tied up with the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), PMK, MDMK and two local parties– Kongunadu Makkal Desia Katchi and Indhiya Jananayaka Katchi–to take on the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) in Tamil Nadu.
The coalition, however, failed to take off electorally since only the BJP and PMK could win one seat each.
On Tuesday, Swamy wanted the MDMK to be issued a show cause notice for termination of its membership from the NDA for being “antithetical” to the coalition’s nationalist outlook.
Swamy emphasised in his statement that he has shared his views on the MDMK with party president Amit Shah and state in-charge Rajiv Pratap Rudy, expressing reservation on Vaiko’s “crass anti-nationalism and covert secessionist pronouncements”.
“If Vaiko wants to run a secessionist government in Tamil Nadu, he has no place in the NDA,” Swamy told a news channel. The state is witnessing realignment of political forces. Former Union minister G K Vasan quit the Congress to float his own outfit which leaves the floor open for manoeuvring to test different combinations.
Though Vaiko has officially denied that he recently held a meeting with DMK chief Karunanidhi and Stalin, which set off buzz about a possible understanding between the two in the near future.
The BJP is trying to pacify the PMK which went public with its decision of sewing up another alliance to face state polls. In the last Assembly polls, the PMK had formed a Social Democratic Alliance (SDA) which essentially was coming together of different community outfits.
Union minister Nitin Gadkari, interestingly, landed at Anbumani Ramadoss’ house in Chennai on Monday for grievance redressal. Some of the allies are not happy with the Centre cosying up with Sri Lanka and failure to find a long-term solution on the Indian fishermen issue.
A Lankan court awarding capital punishment to Indian fishermen has only compounded problems for the BJP-led NDA.