Upset over the unilateral announcement of candidates by AIADMK chief J. Jayalalithaa without consulting them, her key allies, the DMDK and Left parties, held two rounds of negotiations on Thursday amid reports that the angry allies are contemplating the formation of a new alliance.
With her allies openly rebelling against her, Jayalalithaa postponed the Friday launch of her campaign from Madurai.
Speaking to reporters after an hour-long meeting at the DMDK headquarters on Thursday evening, CPI state secretary D. Pandian said the AIADMK was spreading false rumours that “they were holding talks with us. We are open to talks with them, but no one has officially approached us.”
Asked whether they would launch a third front to contest the state elections, Mr Pandian said, “Call us third or fourth front. But we are the first front to chase away the DMK.” He said their objective to remove the DMK’s family rule from the state remains unchanged. “We have been campaigning against the neo-liberal economic policies of the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre and the DMK government in Tamil Nadu. We will never deviate from this agenda,” he reiterated.
However, an otherwise ‘intemperate’ DMDK leader Vijayakanth kept his cool when asked the same query in the morning.
He said, “Don’t be in a hurry. We are discussing issues. We will let you know tomorrow.” A cautious Dr N. Sethuraman, leader of the All India Moovendar Munnetra Munnani, said opening a third front would only lead to a DMK victory.
The Left parties, which convened an emergency meeting of their state executive committees on Thursday, took a day’s breathing time for tempers to cool in both camps. The executive committee of both Left parties would meet to take a final call on the issue on
Friday.
DMDK chief Vijayakanth, CPI (M) state secretary G. Ramakrishnan, CPI (M) MP T.K. Rangarajan, CPI deputy secretaries C. Mahendran and Palanisamy and Puthiya Thamizhagam leader, Dr K. Krishnaswamy participated in the discussion.
Political antennae everywhere have gone up with the new turn of events that open up multiple possibilities.