'Survival' forced Karunanidhi to skip UF meet
N Sathiya Moorthy in Madras
The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu stayed away from the United Front core committee meeting at Delhi this evening, with party supremo and state Chief Minister M Karunanidhi informing the media that he had not received any invitation for the same.
Indications are that the DMK decision flowed from strategy, rather than any formality.
''We are keeping our options open, and would like to see the developments in Delhi before taking a decision,'' a DMK source said.
Only two days back, Karunanidhi, still recovering from the shock of an upset poll defeat for the DMK-led combine, indicated to the media that he was not averse to doing business with the Congress.
''But things are moving on a fast-track, and we too have to adapt
ourselves to the changing situation,'' said the DMK source. ''The
party would like to maintain good and cordial relations with whoever forms a government at the Centre, and does not want to give the impression of being antagonistic, whatever might have been our electoral position till last week.''
Party sources, however, concede that the DMK leadership is overtly concerned about the longevity of its state government, particularly after Anna DMK supremo J Jayalalitha reportedly sought its dismissal from a BJP government at the Centre, in return for the support of the 27 Lok Sabha members now under her command.
Even the Congress is said to have approached Jayalalitha with
a similar offer. But the BJP, particularly given its stand on
dismissal of state governments after the Uttar Pradesh experience, does not want to commit itself to a time-table, if nothing else.
If Karunanidhi had hinted at the DMK backing a Congress-led government the other day, that was based on the presumption that the United Front would stand together, and also, by the Congress, in ministry-making. But with Telugu Desam
president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu striking a different posture on the BJP-Congress front, the DMK does not want to be seen as rushing to the aid of the Congress without any ultimate political benefit.
''The DMK was assured that its government would not be dismissed if the Congress came to power at the Centre,'' said another informed source. ''A similar promise was given to Naidu also. The BJP, too, seems to be have given the very same assurance to both parties, in return for their abstaining from voting in the Lok Sabha. To Naidu at least, this seems to be a less bitter medicine to take.''
Indications are that Chandrababu Naidu has convinced the DMK that he would ensure the continuity of the Tamil Nadu government if the BJP was helped to form a government at the Centre.
DMK treasurer and state Electricity Minister Arcot N Veeraswamy, who air-dashed to Hyderabad with a promise on behalf of the Congress, has returned with Naidu's promise on behalf of the BJP.
The DMK understands that it has limited options, what with it
having only six members in the new Lok Sabha. ''The party abstaining from a vote would thus reduce the government's dependability on the others to just three votes. Whichever party forms the government, can muster that many MPs from other sources, once it ensures its own continuity,'' said the DMK source. ''Our real trouble begins then.''
In this context, this leader pointed out to the possibility of
fresh election to the state assembly should a new government
at the Centre dismiss the state government. ''Leave alone the DMK approaching the apex court for redressal, and leave alone President K R Narayanan taking a morally and legally correct stand against unwarranted central intervention, it would still make our position difficult, if it come through,'' the leader said.
The DMK is also careful not to hurt the sentiments of its equally
crestfallen electoral ally, namely the Tamil Maanila Congress.
''Maybe we can now go on our own and facilitate the formation of a BJP government at the Centre,'' said the source. ''Even then, the BJP would be dependent more on the AIADMK and its allies for the survival of its government than on us. Maybe, once they find more allies, they would ditch us. If that leads to fresh polls to the assembly, we would still require the TMC, just as they would be needing us.''
Whatever its public posture, the DMK is leaving others to do
the government-making job, not coming into the picture until it
becomes clearer, and its choice for support is assured of power.
After all, as the DMK leader pointed out, there will not be a United Front to back the DMK in times of dire need if Naidu, who is also the UF convener, walks out of the combination, to facilitate, if not support, a BJP government.
''If the UF cannot stop Naidu, and cannot stop its own disintegration, how can they stop the dismissal of our government if it came to that?'' said the source. ''Or, how can they stop us from taking a decision of our own?''
Only that, with Naidu taking the lead, the DMK would not be blamed for causing the fall and disintegration of the United Front. Staying away from Delhi today also meant not taking sides within the UF.
Elections '98
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