The stage is set for a multi-cornered contest for the upcoming Lok Sabha election in Tamil Nadu, for which the polling is scheduled on April 24. On Friday, a clear picture of the alliances emerged. Going by the current configuration, Tamil Nadu will see a five-corner fight, a first of its kind in the state. While the Bharatiya janata Party (BJP) has managed to rope in over three regional parties, the other national contender, the Congress, seems to be isolated. Experts describe the current situation as "fluid".
After its allies, the two communist parties, snapped the recently-formed alliance over seat sharing disputes, the J Jayalalithaa-led All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) will contest the election on its own, while its arch-rival Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has forged an alliance with Manithaneya Makkal Katchi, Indian Union Muslim League, Puthiya Tamizhagam and Viduthalai Chiruthaikal Katchi. DMK Supremo M Karunanidhi has also said that if the Left parties approach, DMK is ready to welcome them.
The Congress, which had an alliance with the DMK in the previous elections, has not yet found any potential allies in the state. According to reports, DMK refused to forge an alliance with the Congress and the latter is expected to go it alone in the state this time.
The BJP, after several years of its lonely journey in the state, was able to strike an alliance with Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), actor A Vijayakanth-floated Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) and Vaiko-led Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) and Indian Jananayaka Katchi (IJK).
The two communist parties - the Communist Party of India (CPI) and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) - which released a joint statement on Thursday to end their short-lived alliance with AIADMK, are expected to go on their own in the elections. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), a new entrant to the scenario, is another contestant.
The Left parties were unhappy with AIADMK's offer of one seat each as compared to their demand for three seats each. Earlier, the AIADMK had also announced its list of candidates for all the 40 Lok Sabha constituencies (39 in Tamil Nadu and one in Puducherry) with a plan to withdraw candidates from the respective seats where Left candidates would contest once the seat-sharing deals conclude.
The alliance was part of the Left parties' plans to form a Third Front in alliance with AIADMK and other regional alliances, against the Congress and the BJP.
Political analysts say, to the further dismay of the communist parties, after announcing the alliance with AIADMK earlier, Jayalalithaa, who started her campaign much ahead of any other party in the country, focused only to attack the Congress government and kept silent on the BJP.
This has created an impression that Jayalalithaa, who is proclaimed as a prime ministerial candidate by her party, is keeping her options open to become an ally of the BJP after the polls. In tune with the national ambitions of the party, around 200 leaders and members of various parties from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat joined AIADMK in the end of February. Given the current situation, all the indications are that AIADMK will contest the election on its own.
While the AIADMK's prime ministerial candidate is immersed in campaigning, the BJP is the only other party which has brought their national leaders including their prime ministerial candidate - Narendra Modi - to the state. In fact, Modi has visited Tamil Nadu thrice in two months and addressed a public meeting near Chennai. He also refrained from criticising the AIADMK or the Tamil Nadu government and focused only on the central government and the Congress.
In a statement, PMK founder S Ramadoss said a committee had been formed under party President G K Mani to carry out the talks with the BJP. The DMDK also said in a statement that it had started talks with the saffron party. The BJP has already come to an understanding with the Vaiko-led MDMK and it was reported the party was also in the final stage of inking a deal with PMK in the state.
The DMDK managed to grab the main opposition seats in the state Assembly after it won 29 seats in the 2011 Assembly Election, while it contested in 41 seats. The party managed to grab those seats, which have been traditionally won by the Dravidian parties. Till 2011, state-level politics was dominated by the two Dravidian parties -the J Jayalalithaa-led AIADMK and M Karunanidhi-led DMK.
During the 2011 Assembly polls, AIADMK was voted to power - the party bagged 150 seats - after Karunanidhi's government, which bagged 23 seats, had handed over state administration to AIADMK. The DMDK chose to strike a partnership with the AIADMK in the 2011 Assembly polls.
ALLIANCE SCENARIO
After its allies, the two communist parties, snapped the recently-formed alliance over seat sharing disputes, the J Jayalalithaa-led All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) will contest the election on its own, while its arch-rival Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has forged an alliance with Manithaneya Makkal Katchi, Indian Union Muslim League, Puthiya Tamizhagam and Viduthalai Chiruthaikal Katchi. DMK Supremo M Karunanidhi has also said that if the Left parties approach, DMK is ready to welcome them.
The Congress, which had an alliance with the DMK in the previous elections, has not yet found any potential allies in the state. According to reports, DMK refused to forge an alliance with the Congress and the latter is expected to go it alone in the state this time.
The BJP, after several years of its lonely journey in the state, was able to strike an alliance with Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), actor A Vijayakanth-floated Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) and Vaiko-led Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) and Indian Jananayaka Katchi (IJK).
The two communist parties - the Communist Party of India (CPI) and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) - which released a joint statement on Thursday to end their short-lived alliance with AIADMK, are expected to go on their own in the elections. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), a new entrant to the scenario, is another contestant.
The Left parties were unhappy with AIADMK's offer of one seat each as compared to their demand for three seats each. Earlier, the AIADMK had also announced its list of candidates for all the 40 Lok Sabha constituencies (39 in Tamil Nadu and one in Puducherry) with a plan to withdraw candidates from the respective seats where Left candidates would contest once the seat-sharing deals conclude.
The alliance was part of the Left parties' plans to form a Third Front in alliance with AIADMK and other regional alliances, against the Congress and the BJP.
Political analysts say, to the further dismay of the communist parties, after announcing the alliance with AIADMK earlier, Jayalalithaa, who started her campaign much ahead of any other party in the country, focused only to attack the Congress government and kept silent on the BJP.
This has created an impression that Jayalalithaa, who is proclaimed as a prime ministerial candidate by her party, is keeping her options open to become an ally of the BJP after the polls. In tune with the national ambitions of the party, around 200 leaders and members of various parties from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat joined AIADMK in the end of February. Given the current situation, all the indications are that AIADMK will contest the election on its own.
While the AIADMK's prime ministerial candidate is immersed in campaigning, the BJP is the only other party which has brought their national leaders including their prime ministerial candidate - Narendra Modi - to the state. In fact, Modi has visited Tamil Nadu thrice in two months and addressed a public meeting near Chennai. He also refrained from criticising the AIADMK or the Tamil Nadu government and focused only on the central government and the Congress.
In a statement, PMK founder S Ramadoss said a committee had been formed under party President G K Mani to carry out the talks with the BJP. The DMDK also said in a statement that it had started talks with the saffron party. The BJP has already come to an understanding with the Vaiko-led MDMK and it was reported the party was also in the final stage of inking a deal with PMK in the state.
The DMDK managed to grab the main opposition seats in the state Assembly after it won 29 seats in the 2011 Assembly Election, while it contested in 41 seats. The party managed to grab those seats, which have been traditionally won by the Dravidian parties. Till 2011, state-level politics was dominated by the two Dravidian parties -the J Jayalalithaa-led AIADMK and M Karunanidhi-led DMK.
During the 2011 Assembly polls, AIADMK was voted to power - the party bagged 150 seats - after Karunanidhi's government, which bagged 23 seats, had handed over state administration to AIADMK. The DMDK chose to strike a partnership with the AIADMK in the 2011 Assembly polls.
ALLIANCE SCENARIO
- The AIADMK will contest the upcoming election on its own
- The DMK forged an alliance with Manithaneya Makkal Katchi, Indian Union Muslim League, Puthiya Tamizhagam and Viduthalai Chiruthaikal Katchi
- Congress fails to find any allies
- The BJP has struck alliances with the Pattali Makkal Katchi, Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Indian Jananayaka Katchi