Leader leaves Dhinakaran faction of AIADMK, shakes up Tamil Nadu politics

A key Dhinakaran lieutenant walked out on him recently. What are the implications of Senthil Balaji's defection?

Senthil Balaji, former Tamil Nadu transport minister and Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) chief T T V Dhinakaran's close aide, joined the DMK recently. The move not only came as a setback for the AMMK chief but also created speculation that others, including Thanga Tamilselvan — another close aide of Dhinakaran —will move to the DMK or the Edappadi Palaniswami-O Panneerselvam led faction, which rules the state now. 

If this happens, experts say, it may change equations in the western Tamil Nadu belt, dominated by the Goundars and the Thevars, the communities over which the two leaders have a good influence.

Balaji, 43, returned to the DMK after moving to the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), the AIADMK, and from there to the AMMK. He has been a senior leader in the AIADMK and was considered a trusted lieutenant of the former chief minister and party supremo late, J Jayalalithaa.  

Speculation has been rife that discontent between him and Dhinakaran surfaced after the latter chose against going for an appeal on the Madras High Court’s decision in favour  the Speaker’s move to disqualify 18 MLAs, including Balaji. 

While a majority of them, including Balaji, wanted to go for an appeal, Dhinakaran decided to face by-polls. Tamilselvan also hinted the disqualified MLAs would go for an appeal.

Balaji, however, claimed there was no dispute between him and Dhinakaran over the decision, adding that a review petition may prolong the life of the existing  government. He refused to divulge the reasons for his switch and stated he could not speak ill about people he had worked with.

While political observers and Dhinakaran said that for Balaji returning to the AIADMK would have been a better choice,  he called the AIADMK under the leadership of Palaniswami and Panneerselvam a “sinking ship”; he dubbed DMK President M K Stalin a good leader having the charisma and support from the masses.

He said the AIADMK was working with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Dhinakaran has responded to the development, stating he does not know whether Balaji nursed any personal anger against him and that it is saddening he has joined a party which filed a case that resulted in Jayalalithaa going behind bars. 

Minister for Electricity P Than-gamani claimed Balaji's shift to the DMK was after an effort to return to the AIADMK was unsuccessful. 

Who is Senthil Balaji?

Balaji's political career took off after he won the election for councillorship in the Mamangalam Panchayat, in Karur, in 1996 as an Independent. The strong backing of the Kongu community in the region helped him. He later joined the DMK but in 2000, he left the party.  And, he later joined the AIADMK. He was given a ticket to contest in the union councillor election in Karur. He won and moved up the ladder to contest the Assembly seat. His influence among the Goundar community has been his biggest asset.

In 2011, he was elected from Karur Assembly seat and appointed transport minister in the Jayalalithaa government. However, he lost the position in July 2015 following corruption allegations. In May 2016, he contested from Arvakkuruchi constituency and won. During the political turmoil after the demise of Jayalalithaa in December 2016, he stood with the Dhinakaran faction and was eventually disqualified from the Assembly by Speaker P Dhanapal after 19 MLAs submitted a letter to the Governor that they did not have confidence in Chief Minister Palaniswami. While one MLA apologised for the act and went back to the party, 18 others, including Balaji, stayed with Dhinakaran. 

The tussle between the two AIADMK factions has been going on for some time. And, the BJP, looking for a possible alliance with regional parties for the Lok Sabha polls and the later Assembly election (due in 2021), is watching the friction closely. The united AIADMK under the then leader Jayalalithaa won a majority of the Lok Sabha seats in the state in 2014. 

With the High Court order favouring disqualification of the 18 MLAs and the dissonance in the AMMK camp, Dhinakaran's capacity to bargain has weakened.

A win-win situation?

For both Balaji and the DMK, his return is dubbed a win-win situation. Considering the anti-incumbency factor working in favour of the DMK in the Assembly election, he has secured a position in a safer boat for the time being. 

For the DMK, Balaji brings with him to the table his support in the Gounder community in western Tamil Nadu. The Kongu belt (in western Tamil Nadu) has been an area where the DMK has lost ground since 2006, even when it ruled the state. Several followers of Balaji from Karur followed him to Chennai on December 13 to join the DMK. Stalin, with eyes  not only on the state polls but also on becoming part of a national front against the BJP, is trying to rope in as many vote-catchers as possible.

Now, all eyes are on senior AMMK leaders, such as Tamilselvan, and the possibilities of them jumping ship. If Tamilselvan were to join the DMK, it could strengthen the party in the Thevar community strongholds, such as Theni district, where Deputy CM and AIADMK Co-ordinator O Panneerselvam is influential.