The Davida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) seems to be closing ranks behind arrested former telecom minister A Raja, but the Congress appears in no mood to indulge its powerful southern ally any further on the matter. Things are very different in Delhi for DMK chief and Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi as he found out during his recent visit to the city.
While in 2003-04, Congress president Sonia Gandhi herself had travelled to Chennai to seal the Congress-DMK tie up for the General Elections, this time round, Karunanidhi had to cool his heels in Tamil Nadu Bhawan for over eight hours on Monday before he could meet the UPA chairperson.
?Things have changed, but it is a fallacy to say that it is because of the spectrum case or even A Raja. Quite simply, the AIADMK’s alliance with film star Vijaykanth’s outfit, the Desiya Morupokku Dravida Kazhagam means that for the first time in six years, Jayalalithaa has a formidable alliance against the DMK,? said a Congress minister.
?The fact that there have been huge differences within Karunanidhi’s family, which appears to be edging towards a feud between his various children over the question of succession, has weakened his position to bargain with the Congress,? said the minister.
There are several things which stem from these developments in Tamil Nadu. The first is that the Congress will push for a hard bargain on seats in the Assembly poll. The Congress, which had 48 seats in the last Assembly elections, returning 36 MLAs, has reportedly asked for 75 seats this time.
If DMK loses the Assembly polls this time, their position is will like RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, who got marginalised in his own state and had become very dependent on the Congress. In Tamil Nadu, the nature of its vindictive politics will make sure that the DMK would like to keep its ally at the Centre happy to deal with a hostile state government.