AIADMK still in dark over LS alliances in TN as PMK, DMDK elusive

Chennai: Even after the Election Commission announced the schedule for the Lok Sabha polls, the principal opposition party in Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK is yet to stitch up its alliance.

The AIADMK, which fought the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and 2021 Assembly elections in alliance with the BJP, snapped its ties with the NDA in September 2023. The party has declared that it would be going to the polls with a ‘Mega Alliance’. However, as of now except for some minor parties like ‘Puthiya Tamilagam’ and ‘Purathu Bharatham’, the party does not have a major ally by its side to fight the polls.

Sources in the AIADMK expressed confidence that the party would enter into an alliance with the political arm of the powerful Vanniyar community, the PMK.

However, for the past couple of weeks the PMK has been oscillating between choosing the AIADMK and the BJP for an alliance. There have been reports of a major difference of opinion between party founder leader Dr. S. Ramadoss and his son and party state president, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss. While the former is preferring an alliance with the AIADMK aiming at long-term political gains in the state, his son Anbumani Ramadoss is for a political tie-up with the BJP as there are offers of a Union Cabinet berth to him in the new Central government.

The AIADMK has been wooing the DMDK, the party founded by the late Tamil superstar Vijayakanth. Like the PMK, the DMDK is also into discussions with the BJP. Party general secretary and wife of Vijayakanth, Premalatha Vijayakanth is said to be also bargaining with both AIADMK and the PMK.

With the polls scheduled for April 19 in Tamil Nadu, nominations will commence from March 20 and end on March 27. The last date of withdrawal of the nominations is March 30 and there would be only 17 days left for campaigning.

A senior AIADMK leader told IANS on conditions of anonymity that the party will enter into alliance with both the PMK and the DMDK.