TN’s regional parties open to aligning with Cong before ’19

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu’s regional parties have been wooing the Congress even as the party has an alliance with the main opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in the state.

Till recently, national parties would look to woo major regional players like the state’s ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and DMK. But now the state’s regional parties are approaching the Congress with a tie-up offer.

Rebel AIADMK leader and lawmaker TTV Dhinakaran is the latest among the Tamil Nadu leaders to offer an alliance to the Congress. He said the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK), which he recently launched, is ready to join hands with Congress if it ends its alliance with the DMK. “If the Congress walks away from the DMK alliance, we will consider an alliance with it,” said Dhinakaran on Thursday.

Tamil Nadu Congress chief Su Thirunavukkarasar ruled out quitting the DMK alliance. “We will contest the upcoming (Lok Sabha) elections with the DMK.”

Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK)’s general secretary Vaiko had in May said his party prefers an alliance with the Congress. “We are ready to align with the Congress to defeat the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) in the Lok Sabha elections,” Vaiko had said.

Pattali Makkal Katchi’s (PMK) founder Ramadoss echoed Vaiko and said his party would form an alliance with the Congress. “We do not have any inclination to go with the BJP. However, we are likely to join with Congress,” Ramadoss recently said.

Former state Congress chief M Krishnaswamy claimed an antiBJP sentiment has been drawing many regional parties to join hands with the party. “Due to the existing anti-BJP mindset in the state, many parties prefer to join hands with us. Even the people, who have criticised us in the past, have realised the Congress’s necessity in safeguarding the country’s secular nature.”

The Tamil Nadu BJP unit believes the regional parties were wooing the Congress to increase their bargaining power. “MDMK and PMK are already in our alliance. As a trick to increase the bargaining power, they are saying that they would align with the Congress. All these parties will settle with us finally,” BJP state unit spokesman S R Shekar said.

Congress has led alliances only twice in the state in 1977 and 1989. It drew a blank when it contested all 40 LS seats in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in 2014.

Political analyst Raveendran Duraisamy said PMK, AMMK, MDMK are worried over the Lok Sabha polls and want to have a strong national party as their alliance partner. “As of now, there are no negative votes for the Congress in the state,” he said.

Congress is seen as having a small but committed base of voters, unlike the BJP which is still finding its feet in Tamil Nadu.