JOIN USAfter internal rumblings, AIADMK faces trouble from allies
There seems to be no end for the miseries of the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu. After having resolved internal issues, albeit for now, the ruling party is now facing trouble from alliance partners like the BJP and PMK, an influential force in northern parts of the state.
The pressure from the allies come at a time the state's most-crucial Assembly elections in recent times is just seven months away. Only earlier this month, the party settled the Chief Ministerial face issue by projecting incumbent Palaniswami after his former boss O Panneerselvam paved the way.
PMK, which is considered a tough ally, on Thursday came out in the open to criticise the "rulers of Tamil Nadu" though not directly mentioning the name of Palaniswami.
"Andhra's (Chief Minister) Jagan (Mohan) Reddy does things that he promised and also those he never promised. But the rulers here do not say anything about people's demands. Even if someone takes the problems to them, they do not lend their ear. They also refuse to do anything," party founder S Ramadoss wrote on his verified Twitter page.
The public criticism by PMK comes at a time the BJP is given mixed signals on its alliance with the AIADMK by claiming that it has the potential to field candidates in all 234 assembly constituencies, even as the saffron party dithers on clarifying its stand on Edappadi K Palaniswami as chief ministerial face of the combine. Besides, the BJP has also begun working on the ground with an eye on the assembly elections due in the first half of 2021.
Tamil Nadu BJP President L Murugan has been maintaining that the leader of the alliance will be decided in "New Delhi." Another ally, DMDK led by actor Vijayakanth, has also been posturing for quite some time by claiming that it would emerge as an alternative to the Dravidian majors.
The aforesaid three parties are the major partners of the AIADMK-led alliance which managed to win just one out of the 39 Lok Sabha seats in 2019. Ramadoss has also bowled another googly by asking people from Vanniyar community to which he belongs to be prepared for a struggle in the first half of 2021 to get 20 per cent reservation for them. Ramadoss' open criticism of the AIADMK also led to speculation whether he was planning an exit and join the DMK front.
While admitting that the statements could be part of "pressure tactics" by the parties to bargain for more seats, AIADMK leaders admit that it might find it difficult to deal with allies in the run-up to elections. The party needs a strong alliance to take on the DMK, they said.
Political analysts say alliance partners coming out against the AIADMK in public shows that the troubles for the ruling party is far from over.
"While the ruling party might have solved its internal problems for now, the external problem has surfaced now and that too in the open. Statements from alliance partners are direct pressure on the AIADMK. Moreover, assembly election is very important for a party like PMK," political commentator Prof. P. Ramajayam told Deccan Herald.
An alliance with PMK did help the AIADMK win at least three seats in crucial by-elections in 2019 that led to the survival of the Palaniswami government. "AIADMK needs to keep PMK in good humour because the party has a committed vote bank of 5 per cent which could prove crucial in a closely-contested election," another political analyst said.