GO on urban body chief has saved ruling, Oppn alliances
CHENNAI: In announcing indirect elections for urban local body heads, the ruling AIADMK has not only avoided the embarrassment of offending allies, it has also ‘saved’ its own and DMK’s alliance.
Whether the long-pending civic election happens or not, it has already disturbed the alliance dynamics in both camps. Bonhomie between the allies went for a toss in both camps even before the DMK and AIADMK invited the allies for seat sharing talks.
While the VCK ‘irritated’ DMK by requesting Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami to ‘reserve’ Chennai Mayor post for a scheduled caste candidate, ties soared in the rival AIADMK to such a level that allies had dared each other to go it alone in the civic polls.
BJP state treasurer, who was among the critics to publicly repudiate the AIADMK dispensation for promulgating the ordinance, did not hold back when he said the indirect elections was chosen to deny seats to allies. Though the PMK and DMDK had publicly kept calm on the issue, both parties were murmuring discontent over the alliance leader scuttling their chances in the mayoral elections.
Add the loaded political statements of Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, the discordant note struck by allies has already fuelled speculation on whether parties in the ruling camp were reconsidering existing ties and gearing up for 2021 Assembly elections.
That AIADMK had distanced itself from BJP during by polls and Vellore Parliamentary polls should explain the discomfiture it has in accommodating some allies during elections. “Minorities account for up to 20 per cent of the electorate in municipal limits like Chennai. It will give a sizeable advantage to the
Opposition in the civic polls. Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami is wary of it. Hence, he negated the negative influence in one stroke by going for indirect elections,” argued political commentator Ravindran Doraisamy.
Understandably, the DMK was not amused by the Dalit allies surprise move. “We did not plan to field Udhayanidhi. It is an altogether different issue. However, VCK has not done any good to the alliance by demanding the CM to reserve Chennai Mayorship. Our leader is not amused,” a DMK leader said under condition of anonymity.
Dismissing criticism that VCK was only responding to the way it was slighted by DMK during Lok Sabha elections, the leader said, “If they claim they were ill-treated during LS polls, they are only being ungrateful. We gave two seats, worked hard for them and made them win.”
Political analyst R Mani said, “This is definitely not a simple friction between allies. In going for indirect elections, Palaniswami has scored brownie points and silencing allies who were demanding a couple of mayor seats each. Hence, the strong reaction from BJP. In the DMK camp, the VCK has done it to irritate the DMK.”